Reds' trade deadline plans on hold while NL Central rival commits to being sellers

Not so fast, says Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall. The Reds' top executive dismissed the notion that Cincinnati was waving the white flag following the team's series loss to the Washington Nationals.

A report from Jon Morosi of MLB Network cited sources claiming the Reds were looking to move players on expiring contract ahead of the July 30th deadline.

But while the Reds may still be tinkering with their trade deadline plans, one of their NL Central rivals is set to mail in the 2024 season and focus on the future. Chicago Cubs' President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer told reporters that any moves the North Siders make between now and deadline will be with 2025 and beyond in mind.

Reds aren't sellers just yet, but the Cubs aren't looking to add at the MLB trade deadline

As disappointing as the Reds' season has been to date, few teams have put forth a more disappointing effort in 2024 than the Cubs. Many experts picked Chicago, led by former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell, to be the class of the NL Central in 2024.

The Cubs lured Counsell away from his post in Milwaukee by signing the longtime Brewers' skipper to the biggest contract ever doled out to the manager. Chicago then ended a prolonged negotiation with former NL MVP Cody Bellinger and added potential NL Cy Young Award-winner Shōta Imanaga in free agency. All of this followed a season that saw the Cubs narrowly miss out on the 2023 playoffs.

But Chicago has been a disaster this season. Only one of their hitters (Michael Busch) has an OPS above .800, and Chicago ranks among the bottom-third of the National League in many key offensive categories. The Cubs' pitching has been good enough, but the team as a whole maintains a -8 run differential. The Cubbies' expected win-loss total is four games worse than the Reds.

So who might the Cubs sell at the MLB trade deadline? Jameson Taillon is a popular name that has drawn some attention by a handful of contenders. Relievers Mark Leiter Jr. and Hector Neris could be of interest as well.

So while Reds fans cling to hope that their team can find their footing and make a run in the second-half, the Cubs appear to have set their sights on next season. That may be the reality facing the Reds soon enough, but for now, Krall and Co. are still holding out hope for this season.

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