Major League Baseball’s trade deadline arrives at 6 p.m. Thursday, and I want one thing from the baseball gods this year: Good Vibes Only. After Monday night’s loss to L.A., the Redlegs sit at 56–51, maybe not a threat to win the division but firmly within the Wild Card conversation. A glance at the standings shows both a realistic path forward to October glory and an equally plausible collapse scenario. It’s becoming a July tradition around here!
Two years ago at this time, the Reds’ front office, led by then-GM Nick Krall, watched the season unravel in real time. Sitting in first place at the trade deadline, Krall and Co. punted on opportunities to fortify the roster and, most glaringly, failed to add any legitimate pitching depth. They told us that sustainability was the goal and that they couldn’t trade any prospects to improve a team with a legitimate shot at the playoffs. The only addition was lefty reliever Sam Moll, a “nice extra guy” by Krall’s own description. It was, in hindsight, a bet on hope that Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo would return healthy and dominantn and a young lineup would carry the load.
Hope, as it turned out, was not a strategy. The Reds faded, and another postseason-less October arrived in Cincinnati. Two years later, is there perhaps reason to believe things might be different?
Brad Meador is now the GM, with Krall’s promotion to President of Baseball Operations, and he’s declared that he “wants to try to push in to win this year,” even as he couches that pledge in long-term language about “sustainable success.” Certainly, this roster is strong enough to push some chips into the middle. But it’s also a roster with obvious holes that we’ve known about since February:
A middle-of-the-order bat. The Reds’ collective OPS lags in the bottom third of MLB, and Elly De La Cruz is the only player who’s been a consistent threat all season long. They’ve long been too reliant on him and TJ Friedl (and occasionally the oft-injured Austin Hays) to generate offense.
Late-inning bullpen help. Emilio Pagán has performed admirably as closer, but the metrics make me nervous about regression. Tony Santillan has been good, but Scott Barlow and Taylor Rogers are inconsistent and the back end is one injury away from a crisis. The pen needs help.
Rotation depth. Greene is still working back from injury. Chase Burns has looked spectacular at times, but he’ll likely be on an innings limit down the stretch. To the extent that they were ever an option, Carson Spiers and Wade Miley are out of commission. The top four of Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Nick Martinez, and Brady Singer is solid; add Greene to that mix, and it’s the best rotation we’ve seen since the days of Cueto and Arroyo. But the staff is precariously thin.
Again, this roster is already competitive. As much as I’d like the Reds to go acquire a superstar, we all know that isn’t going to happen. But there is a path to shoring up this team’s flaws.
And it begins with bringing Good Vibes Only back to Cincinnati. No name fits the Reds’ needs better than Eugenio Suárez.
Now with the Diamondbacks, Suárez would fit perfectly back in the Reds lineup. He’s already mashed 36 homers this year and carries a .247/.319/.579 slash line. More than the numbers, Suárez embodies exactly what I think this clubhouse could use: He’s beloved in Cincinnati; he thrives in hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park; and he’d provide the power, presence, and most importantly the veteran presence that could transform a young team fighting for its playoff life (assuming his recent injury isn’t serious, of course).
The question is the cost. That’s always the question in Castellini World. Suárez is in the final year of a $15 million contract, which leaves roughly $5 million to be paid. Multiple contenders (Cubs, Yankees, Astros, Mariners) are circling, so the cost in terms of prospects might be high as well. But the Reds should be the team most motivated to bring him home.
Imagine Suárez—one of the most likeable players in Reds history—protecting De La Cruz in the lineup and manning third base (with Noelvi Marte sliding to right field). Suddenly, Francona could roll out a lineup with legitimate right-handed thump. Could that get them across the finish line? It gets them in the conversation at least.
As much as I want to dream about the Geno Reunion Tour, Suárez isn’t the only bat that fits. Rumors abound that guys like Taylor Ward (Angels), Jo Adell (Angels), Brandon Lowe (Rays), and even Wilyer Abreu (Red Sox) appear to be available to varying degrees. On the pitching side, Zack Littell (Rays), Reid Detmers (Angels), or another former Red, Michael Lorenzen (Rangers), would give the Reds another Nick Martinez–type arm capable of spot starts and high-leverage relief.
The bullpen market is wide open. I like Danny Coulombe (Orioles) or Dylan Lee (Braves). A bigger splash might be Cleveland’s Cade Smith or Minnesota’s Griffin Jax. But this is all somewhat-educated speculation. Lots of teams will be inquiring about all these names, and there will likely be players traded who were never spending time on the rumor mill.
Of course—and here’s the part that the Reds never seem to understand—to obtain good players you often have to trade away good players. There’s the rub. Cincinnati has shown a complete unwillingness in recent years to part with any prospects so as not to “mortgage the future.” So if history is our guide, the front office won’t touch their crown jewels. Chase Burns, Edwin Arroyo, and Sal Stewart aren’t going anywhere, which could make it difficult to get impact players in return.
Would Krall/Meador be willing to deal away Cam Collier or Chase Petty? What about Alfredo Duno? If not, then I don’t see how they can substantially improve the big league roster. I don’t see Hector Rodriguez (OF) or Tyson Lewis (SS) headlining a deal.
Here is a chance for Meador to prove the Reds have evolved. If they’re serious about winning, they must be willing to eat some salary and trade away some prospect capital. Adding a player like Suárez and a bullpen arm or two won’t just improve the roster—it would signal to a young clubhouse that the front office believes in them.
The Reds can’t undo the missteps of 2023, but they can show their players and their fans that hope alone isn’t the plan this time. Trade some of these prospects. Add Suárez. Add a bullpen arm. Give us something to get excited about for the next two months.
And to those fans who worry about “mortgaging the future,” I scoff at your concerns. What future? The Reds are in Year 12 of the Never-Ending Rebuild. There is no certainty that this glorious future is ever going to arrive in Cincinnati if management keeps kicking the can down the road.
I’d just like to celebrate the present for once. Good vibes only, my friends.
Chad Dotson helms Reds coverage at Cincinnati Magazine and is co-author of “The Big 50: The Men and Moments That Made the Cincinnati Reds,” revised, updated, and available in bookstores now. His newsletter about Cincinnati sports can be found at chaddotson.com.
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