This Reds trade chip picked the perfect time to raise his value

Shortstop Edwin Arroyo has long been considered a jewel in the Cincinnati Reds’ farm system. He once ranked in the Top 70 prospects in all of baseball according to MLB, Baseball America, and Baseball Prospectus.

Unfortunately, an injury delayed his progress last year, and he has been leapfrogged by several surging youngsters. Arroyo’s probable path now looks to be through the trade market where his recent success may net a significant return.

In the month of July, Arroyo seems to be rounding into the form that once wowed evaluators. He's hitting .296/.354/.451. His nine extra-base hits (nine doubles and one homer) are of particular note since his power stroke seemingly disappeared when he had surgery to repair a torn labrum and missed all of 2024.

Reds shortstop prospect Edwin Arroyo’s hot streak may intrigue teams at the deadline

Arroyo hit double-digit homers in his first two full seasons, so he may be back on track to be a 20-20 candidate. With the trade deadline a mere week away, Arroyo’s power surge may draw interest from sellers.

If not for Arroyo’s injury, he may have already been in the mix with the big league club. It’s not hard to see a world where he steps in at second base during Matt McLain’s early season struggles. Arroyo, though, has spent the year at Double-A Chattanooga while breakout stars like Tyson Lewis and Sammy Stafura climb the ranks behind him. In fact, Lewis has risen above Arroyo on MLB.com’s latest prospect rankings.

Arroyo still has tremendous value. He’s a slick fielder who can stick at shortstop in the majors, and although he’s only swiped seven bags this season, he can tear up the base paths and change the game with his aggressive play. At only 21 years old, Arroyo has the ability to give a team something to build around.

To get the immediate help that the Reds need, Arroyo would need to be packaged with at least one other prospect — likely a pitcher. Luckily, Cincinnati is replete with middle infield and pitching depth down on the farm. If the Reds want to keep Cam Collier and Sal Stewart but still grab Eugenio Suárez, as The Athletic proposed, maybe Arroyo would be just the guy to get it done.

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