Reds trade stance on Hunter Greene starts with one big obstacle for Red Sox

The Cincinnati Reds appear to have multiple suitors for Hunter Greene, but an insider with The Athletic finally put a name to one of the inquiring organizations . According to Jen McCaffery the Boston Red Sox are one of several teams who have reached out to the Reds about their ace with the trade deadline fast approaching.

Boston is looking for a right-handed starter to meld with their left-handed heavy rotation. Former Reds All-Star Sonny Gray is past of the Red Sox staff, but Payton Tolle, Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez, and Jake Bennett all throw from the other side of the rubber.

Nevertheless, if the Red Sox truly want to add Greene to their rotation, it's going to cost them. According to McCaffery, the the Reds are not inclined to move the flamethrower unless they're blown away by an offer — one that includes multiple players who are Major League-ready.

Red Sox would have to overpay in order for the Reds to trade Hunter Greene

That's a tough sell for a team like the Red Sox whose 15-game win streak thrust them right back into the playoff race. Boston was dead and buried in the AL East standing a month ago, but a red-hot performance in July has the Red Sox (59-51) looking like a World Series contender.

As such, Boston is unlikely to trade away the players that helped them get there. The Reds would undoubtedly love to acquire a player like Bennett, Tolle, Wilyer Abreu, or even last year's rookie Roman Anthony as part of the return for Greene, but the Red Sox are unlikely to move any of those players.

Instead, Boston probably floated names like Anthony Eyanson, Justin Gonzales, Kyson Witherspoon, and Franklin Primera; all of whom are highly-regarded prospects, but wouldn't be headliners in a deal for Greene. The Red Sox's top prospect Franklin Arias would likely move the needle, but with the three years remaining on Greene's extremely affordable contract, his name merely starts the conversation.

Greene isn't the only Reds' star that the Red Sox are after. Reports emerged on Saturday that Boston was interested in Elly De La Cruz, but were quickly rebuffed for the same reasons Cincinnati dismissed their attempts to land Greene.

If any team wants Greene (or De La Cruz), they're going to have to make an offer the Reds can't refuse. That's a big ask, and one that seems unlikely at this time.

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