Reds fans will be stunned by favorable Luis Robert Jr. trade proposal from former GM

With Kyle Tucker off to the Windy City, all eyes are on the Cincinnati Reds and their pursuit of Luis Robert Jr. The Chicago Cubs acquired Tucker from the Houston Astros last week, leaving Robert as the best outfielder available on the trade market this offseason.

Cincinnati desperately needs to upgrade their lineup, especially with the Cubs now making a push for Miami Marlins starter Jesús Luzardo. Chicago is winning the offseason among all NL Central teams this offseason, but if the Reds were acquire Robert from the Chicago White Sox, suddenly they'd vault to the front of the line as the odds-on favorite to win the division in 2025.

Reds fans will be stunned by favorable Luis Robert Jr. trade proposal from former GM

Normally, Reds fans are turned off at the foolish mumbo jumbo that spews from former general manager Jim Bowden. The Reds' GM from 1992-2003 is now a contributor for The Athletic. Recently, Bowden opined that Cincinnati should make a run at Robert, and the trade package he put together (subscription required) was actually not too bad. Bowden believes that a combination of Tyson Lewis and one of Cam Collier or Sal Stewart gets a deal done.

That's not too crazy, and is certainly a deal that Cincinnati could afford to make. Looking at the Reds current roster and projecting some of these young prospects forward, Cincinnati only has so many spots on the infield. Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz look to be locked in for the next five seasons, and there's obvious hope that one of Christian Encarnacion-Strand or Noelvi Marte can become a regular next season. The Reds also have Edwin Arroyo, Sammy Stafura, and Carlos Jorge waiting in the wings.

Lewis is just 18 years old and is easily three-plus years away from making it to the big leagues. Collier and Stewart are on the same path, and the Reds would need to be comfortable waving goodbye to one of their third base prospects. Collier offers more pop, but Stewart has a much more disciplined approach at the plate.

Reds fans who want to see Nick Krall and Cincinnati's front office pursue a trade for Robert should look as Bowden's proposal favorably. Trading for Robert comes with risk, but the Reds can't keep sitting on their hands while other teams within the division are making moves.

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