Reds’ farm system ranking screams for bold win-now moves during the offseason

The Cincinnati Reds have some of the best young talent in the game. According to MLB Pipeline, the Reds' farm system ranks eighth among all other Major League organizations. Chase Burns, having now appeared in several games for the Reds this season, has now graduated, and Sal Stewart is the team's top prospect and one of six in the top 100.

President of baseball operations Nick Krall and general manager Brad Meador have spoken ad nauseam about building through the draft and keeping the pipeline chock full of talent. At some point, however, the Reds need to make a bold move and trade away one or more of their top prospects in order to beef up the Major League roster.

This coming offseason could be a perfect time for the Reds to jettison some of their top young talent in search of Major League-ready players. The Reds have a bonafide top-5 rotation, and need to add a bat or two this winter. The question is whether or not Krall and the Reds' front office will actually pull the trigger.

Reds’ farm system ranking screams for bold win-now moves during the offseason

The Reds' farm system moved up three spots in the rankings from No. 11 to No. 8 in part because of the team's efforts during the 2025 MLB Draft. Cincinnati landed shortstop Steele Hall (ranked 89th in MLB Pipeline's top-100) and picked up another top-10 organizational prospect in right-hander Aaron Watson.

While Hall and Watson shouldn't be dealt this coming offseason, it's hard to make that same claim for prospects like Edwin Arroyo, Chase Petty, and Cam Collier. Cincinnati shouldn't feel pressured to trade any of their top prospects, but if the right deal comes along, those are the names that could help the Reds pull off a trade that would bring back a solid MLB-ready player in return.

Arroyo is buried behind Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain at the big-league level, and will need a spot on the 40-man roster this fall to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Petty's had an up-and-down year, and with Brandon Williamson, Julian Aguiar, and Rhett Lowder returning in 2026, the competition for a spot in the rotation will be fierce. Collier is still very raw, but is probably the one top-100 prospect Cincinnati could afford to part with if it meant they'd get a nice return.

The harsh reality is that there's not a place for every single prospect on the roster, and not all of these young players will even pan out. The Reds clung to prospects like Nick Senzel, Jose Peraza, and Robert Stephenson in the past, and it's time for the Reds' brass to take a slightly different approach this coming winter.

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