Reds trade useful backup to A's and now have one less option they can trust

The Cincinnati Reds lost a key piece of their roster on Sunday after finalizing a trade that sent Austin Wynns to the Athletics. In return, the Reds will receive cash considerations. While some Reds fans will certainly bemoan the light return, there was little else Cincinnati was going to receive in exchange for Wynns given his career numbers.

Wynns did, however, provide some depth behind the catching duo of Tyler Stephenson and Jose Trevino. Wynns was on the Reds Opening Day roster after Stephenson suffered a oblique injury during spring training. The journeyman backstop put up terrific numbers in Stephenson's absence, but took a back seat once the Reds starter returned from the IL.

The Reds carried three catchers for quite some time — mainly due to the lack of position depth in the minor leagues. But with Christian Encarnacion-Strand's return late last week, Cincinnati finally decided to designate Wynns for assignment.

Reds trade Austin Wynns to A's and now have one less option they can trust

Wynns' track record this season was too good for a team like the A's to ignore. He was hitting .400/.442/.700 with a 213 wRC+. Those numbers were severely helped by a small sample size — Wynns has just 43 plate appearances this season.

The issue for the Reds, however, is the team's lack of depth in the minor leagues. Cincinnati has heavily invested in the position during the last several drafts. The Reds added the likes of Mat Nelson, Cade Hunter, Logan Tanner, and Connor Burns over the last few years, but none of those players are anywhere close to being major league-ready.

Cincinnati's top catching prospect — Alfredo Duno — is still at Low-A, and is unlikely to make his MLB debut until sometime after the 2027 season. The current crop of catchers at Triple-A Louisville include Will Banfield, P.J. Higgins, and Eric Yang — none of which offer much if one of Stephenson or Trevino lands on the IL.

With Wynns now in West Sacramento with the A's organization, don't be surprised to see the Reds attempt to sign a veteran backstop to a minor league deal. Former Reds Gold Glover Tucker Barnhart just re-signed with the Texas Rangers, so he's off the market. Former Reds catcher Aramis Garcia just became available as did Jacob Stallings — both could be on Cincinnati's shortlist this week.

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