Reds fans already fear Gavin Lux trade will backfire as Dodgers prospect thrives

It only took about two months for the Cincinnati Reds fanbase to begin second guessing the Gavin Lux trade. The Los Angeles Dodgers shipped Lux to Cincy this past offseason after signing Hye-seong Kim. The Reds sent their Competitive Balance draft pick (No. 37 overall) and outfield prospect Mike Sirota to LA in exchange for Lux. With the MLB Draft not until July, the Dodgers have yet to make their selection, but Sirota, on the other hand, is already making a name for himself in the Dodgers farm system.

It's impossible for Reds fans to be upset with Lux through the first 40-plus games of the 2025 season. With Spencer Steer's early-season limitations, Lux became the Reds most versatile fielder. While not necessarily successful against lefties, Lux has feasted on right-handed pitching this season to the tune of .330/.413/.462 with a 143 wRC+.

But when Reds fans see the stat line that Sirota has posted since joining the Dodgers, it'll make them sick to their stomaches. The outfielder has been so dominant at Low-A this season that he's already received a promotion to High-A after only 24 games with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Sirota was leading the California League in home runs (7), slugging percentage (.687), and OPS (1.130).

Reds fans already fear Gavin Lux trade will backfire as Dodgers prospect Mike Sirota thrives

Sirota was the Reds' third-round selection last season, but was originally taken by the Dodgers in the 2021 MLB Draft. But after weighing his options, Sirota decided to spurn the Dodgers' attempt to sign him away from his college commitment and attended Northeastern University in Boston. During his three collegiate seasons, Sirota hit .324/.458/.577 with 29 home runs and 111 RBI.

The Reds, looking to bolster their major league roster, decided to acquiesce to the Dodgers' trade demands and included Sirota in a trade package for Lux. If Sirota continues mashing after his latest promotion to High-A Great Lakes, this has the makings of a trade the Reds will want back.

But prospects are just that until they make their major league debut. How many times have Reds fans heard about the tremendous exploits of players like Nick Senzel, Amir Garrett, Sal Romano, or Jose Barrero only to find out they'd been sold a bill of goods. While the jury is still out on how good Sirota will ultimately become, the Reds can't be upset with what they've received from Lux thus far.

Though the slugging hasn't been there yet, Lux is constantly putting the ball in play, has the highest on-base percentage of any Reds player with at least 75 plate appearances this season, and is under team control through next season at what will likely be a very low number. Lux has been a solid upgrade to the Reds roster this season, but if Sirota turns into a star, Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall will be kicking himself — if he still has a job at that point.

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