The Cincinnati Reds are having themselves quite the offseason. The team added both Shogo Akiyama and Mike Moustakas in free agency and have now struck a deal for Nicholas Castellanos. Those additions, plus their trade for Trevor Bauer at last year’s trade deadline, has the Reds as a team on the rise.
Castellanos, the newest addition, hit .289 with 27 home runs and 73 RBI in 151 games between the Tigers and Cubs last season. He was undoubtedly the best free agent remaining before his pact with the Reds came to fruition. For the Reds, he immediately improves what is already an impressive lineup.
The only problem is that Cincinnati already has Akiyama and Aristides Aquino locked in at center and right field, respectively. Currently, Jesse Winker is projected to play left field. Winker hit .269 with 16 home runs and 38 RBI in 2019.
Cincinnati also has Nick Senzel on their bench. The former top prospect hit .256 with 12 home runs, 42 RBI and 14 stolen bases as a rookie last season.
By signing Castellanos, the Reds are left with a ton of talent on their bench. While there is never such a thing as too much potential, perhaps the team could look to unload some of their budding stars in an effort to improve their current roster.
If the Reds can add another MLB-ready piece who could start and contribute immediately, Cincinnati could find themselves back into the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
Here are some trade targets for Cincinnati.
James McCann, Catcher, Chicago White Sox
This list starts with a player that certainly wouldn’t cost a Winker or Senzel but is a player the Reds could consider investing in.
Looking at Cincinnati’s lineup, the only glaring hole is at catcher. Right now, Tucker Barnhart is projected to start behind the plate. Barnhart hit just .231 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI in 114 games last season. He is a former Gold Glove winner, meaning his defense behind the plate is incredibly valuable. However, the Reds could look to improve on offense at backstop.
After signing Yasmani Grandal this offseason, the White Sox should be more than willing to trade James McCann. The team also signed slugger Edwin Encarnacion and have former catching prospect, Zack Collins, on their roster, making McCann even more expendable.
McCann had a rough second half of the season but finished with a .273 batting average, 18 home runs, and 60 RBI. He was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. His .273 batting average would have ranked fourth in all of the MLB had he qualified.
Again, adding McCann likely wouldn’t cost the Reds much and is the least exciting player on this list. However, if the Reds decide they want to hold onto their young pieces, adding a player coming off on All-Star season could do the trick.
Willson Contreras, Catcher, Chicago Cubs
If the Reds want to look big picture, current Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras could fit the bill. Right off the bat, it’s important to note that this would be an inter-division trade. Rarely do you see teams inside the same division trading big-name stars. However, if the Cubs really want to move Contreras, the Reds have the pieces necessary to facilitate a deal.
There have been multiple reports dating back to early December of last year that the Cubs are willing to trade Contreras. The team is looking to shave salary and reportedly believe Victor Caratini is a feasible option to replace Contreras.
Looking at the Cubs’ roster, Chicago has a need in center field, where Ian Happ is currently projected to start. Senzel spent 96 of his 97 games in the field at center. His only other appearance came at second base, where Chicago could also use some help as David Bote is currently projected as the starter. If the Cubs go for a full-blown rebuild and actually trade former MVP, Kris Bryant, perhaps Senzel could play third base, his college position.
The biggest thorn in this deal is the Cubs and Reds playing in the same division. But if Chicago is serious about dealing Contreras, it’s possible Cincinnati could give them the best possible value.
Marcus Semien, Shortstop, Oakland Athletics
Outside of catcher, the only other place the Reds could improve their lineup is at shortstop. Freddy Galvis hit .260 with 23 home runs and 70 RBI last season. While he is a talented player and shortstop isn’t as big of a hole as catcher, 2019 was only the second time Galvis hit 20 home runs in a season. As a career .248 hitter, there is a chance Galvis falls off a bit in 2020.
However, Galvis has appeared in at least 147 games the past five seasons, including all 162 in 2017 and 2018. He also has experience at second and third base as well as the outfield and could be moved into a super-utility role.
If the Reds do decide to upgrade on Galvis, current Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien could do the trick. Semien had a phenomenal 2019 season, hitting .285 with 33 home runs, 92 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He finished third in AL MVP voting.
The player originally deemed as a bust after his original trade to Oakland finally put it all together. Adding a bat like his to the Reds’ lineup would arguably give them the best offense in the league.
As for the Oakland side of things, Semien is a free agent after the season. If they feel they’ll be unable to re-sign him, perhaps they seek to sell high on him. If that becomes the case, the Reds have MLB-ready pieces that would not only equal a fair return but potentially keep the A’s in contention.
Francisco Lindor, Shortstop, Cleveland Indians
Speaking of shortstop, perhaps no player has been talked about as a potential trade target this offseason than Francisco Lindor. The Indians’ shortstop has one more year of arbitration eligibility in 2021 before he becomes a free agent in 2022. Like the situation with Semien, many have speculated Cleveland could trade their prized shortstop rather than extend him.
Unlike with Semien, at least to this point, the Reds have actually shown interest in the Cleveland shortstop. MLB.com’s Mark Fiensand reported that the two teams have had conversations regarding Lindor whereas MLB Insider Jon Heyman reported that the Indians have interest in Senzel.
Regarding Lindor, Indians are said to like Nick Senzel very much. Haven’t actually heard of a lot of talk between the teams yet but doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Interesting note from @Feinsand
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 19, 2019
The Reds’ interest in Lindor makes total sense. For his career, Lindor has hit .288 with 130 home runs and 384 RBI while racking up 93 stolen bases. He has been an All-Star the past four seasons. At just 25, he is the type of player that turns franchises into championship contenders.
For Cincinnati, while Senzel could be a potential center piece of a deal, the team has a strong farm system that could help facilitate a deal. Top prospects Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo will certainly be of interest to the Indians while players such as Jonathan India and Tony Santillan could make sense, too.
It’s still unclear if the Indians will truly trade Lindor, but if they do, the Reds seem like a potential landing spot.
Mike Clevinger, Starting Pitcher, Cleveland Indians
The only non-shortstop or catcher on this list is Indians pitcher Mike Clevinger, who has been talked about as a potential trade candidate for the entirety of this offseason. Teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels have shown reported interest.
It’s not hard to see why, as Clevinger put together a strong 2019, pitching to a 13-4 record with a 2.71 ERA and a 169/37 K/BB ratio. He has been a bit underrated the past few years and has emerged as one of the best pitchers in baseball. Perhaps even more exciting to teams is that he is under control until 2022.
Any team landing Clevinger is getting a guy who is going to slot into the top half of their rotation and be a dominant force at that. While the Reds might be reluctant to trade him, if Lindor is on the table, so is Clevinger.
As for the Reds, much like with Lindor, they have the pieces necessary to get a deal done. In doing so, they would likely move Wade Miley to a long relief role out of the bullpen. While Miley has been a starter his whole career, he has struggled recently outside of a strong 2019 season.
If the Reds had an opportunity to acquire Clevinger, they probably wouldn’t flinch.
