Reds front office gamble just blew up in their faces and the Dodgers cashed in

Almost a year to the day after acquiring Gavin Lux from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cincinnati Reds sent the utilityman on his way via a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays.

Just like that, the promise of a versatile player with playoff experience and team control vanished while Lux posted a career-worst season. Now, the Reds must be regretting the high cost they paid last winter.

In order to secure Lux’s services, the Reds parted ways with top prospect Mike Sirota and a Competitive Balance Round pick. Sirota had yet to play a game in the Reds’ system when he was dealt to the Dodgers. When he finally made his Minor League debut, he demonstrated the power, speed, and plate approach that made him a Top 100 prospect. Although Sirota was limited to 59 games due to injury, the Reds may be thinking, “What if?”

Gavin Lux’s short stay in Cincinnati makes the Reds’ deal with the Dodgers look even worse

Unlike the Dodgers, who have three outfield prospects who outrank Sirota, the Reds are fairly thin at the position. The upper levels have a handful of players, such as Rece Hinds, Blake Dunn, and Will Benson, that haven’t quite been able to put things together in the big leagues. Héctor Rodríguez is the next best hope. Suddenly, it seems like Sirota would have a pretty clear path to playing time in Cincinnati.

As for the draft pick that the Reds sent LA, the Dodgers further padded their outfield depth with Charles Davalan. The University of Arkansas standout, despite being 5’9”, has plus-speed and posted a 51% hard-hit rate in his eight games at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. When he returns from a hamstring strain, we’ll have to see how he performs in a full season in 2026.

Meanwhile, the Reds are arguably in a worse place now than they were before the Lux trade. Matt McLain’s troublesome 2025 campaign makes second base a question mark, and Lux is no longer on the roster to fill the gap. In the outfield, Cincinnati is hoping for a major bounce-back from free agent acquisition JJ Bleday. Projections, though, aren’t optimistic. The corner outfield positions rank in the bottom third of the majors, according to FanGraphs. Nick Krall could be wishing he had a do-over with this one.