Reds are sitting on the perfect trade deadline match for the Brewers

Intra-division trades aren't a very common occurrence in baseball, especially during the middle of the season. Rivals tend not to want to help other teams win, be it now or in the future.

Sometimes, though, that unspoken rule gets broken when a fit just makes too much sense. The Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers violated that sacred treaty just a couple of years ago, agreeing to exchange Frankie Montas for Jakob Junis and Joey Wiemer.

The trade didn't really work out for either side — Montas was mediocre and left Milwaukee in free agency after the 2024 season, while neither Junis nor Wiemer are still in Cincinnati — but it's proof that Nick Krall and Matt Arnold can find common ground ahead of the trade deadline.

That's particularly prevalent right now, since the Brewers are atop the NL Central and looking to buy, while the Reds are trapped in the divisional cellar and looking to sell. With the Brew Crew in need of pitching, both in the rotation and bullpen, could another trade between these two rivals come to fruition over the next week?

Reds can take advantage of Brewers' trade deadline needs with a healthy supply of pitching

Despite how good the Brewers' rotation looks on paper, there is a depth issue brewing under the surface. Jacob Misiorowski has already blown past his career high in innings pitched, Kyle Harrison is on the injured list during a dreaded bout with "forearm tightness", and Brandon Woodruff is out for the rest of the season. They'll have to bring in another playoff-caliber option if they want to hang with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves in October.

Brady Singer is in the midst of a down-year overall, but he's been pitching well for the better part of the last month. One of the most consistent innings-eaters in the league, Singer's tossed at least 150 frames in each of the past four years. He'd be a tremendous upgrade at the deadline for a young staff that's now missing its veteran leader.

There's also potential for a larger deal here, assuming the Brewers want to add another high-leverage reliever to their overworked bullpen. A left-handed option would be especially intriguing to them, since they currently have four southpaws on the IL and are relying solely on Aaron Ashby to hold down the fort.

Once again, the Reds can meet the demand with their own supply. Brock Burke (2.66 ERA) and Caleb Ferguson (3.86 ERA) are rental lefties, while Sam Moll (4.32 ERA) still has one year of arbitration remaining. Pair any of those relievers with Singer, and you can start talking about a nice trade-deadline haul involving a couple of the Brewers' vaunted top-10 organizational prospects.

If you think that sounds a little unrealistic, remember that because of the inherent rivalry between these teams, the Reds can include a surcharge on their best trade chips. They're a remarkably good trade partner for the best team in their division — that's a rare opportunity worth taking advantage of.

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