The Cincinnati Reds are headed into the All-Star break with the kind of clarity nobody wanted: this is a seller’s team.
With Sunday’s game set to close out the first half, the front office now has time to take stock of a 2026 season that has gone nowhere near the way it was supposed to. And if the deadline picture wasn’t already obvious, it is now.
Buying is off the table. The Reds need to move pieces, not add them.
That reality makes Spencer Steer the name to watch, even if he’s the kind of player fans hate to see go.
On Sunday, Bob Nightengale reported that Steer has become a hot topic around the league. As Nightengale wrote, "The Cincinnati Reds already are getting plenty of interest in Spencer Steer, who can play first base, third base and left field," writes Nightengale. "He’ll be in high demand with so few impact bats available at the deadline."
That kind of versatility is exactly why Steer has value, both to Cincinnati and to contenders looking for help. He’s hitting .244, which sits around his career mark, and his ability to handle multiple spots only makes him more attractive in a market that doesn’t have many impact bats to offer.
For the Reds, though, the bigger issue is that the rest of the roster hasn’t done enough to change the direction of the season. Eugenio Suarez has 10 home runs, a number that makes him look a long way from the player who blasted 49 last season. Nathaniel Lowe’s early spark has also faded; over his last five games, he has one home run.
If those moves had worked out the way the Reds hoped, this could have been a different conversation. Instead, the team has pushed itself into sell mode, and the painful part is that the players with real trade value are the ones most likely to draw interest.
Steer feels like the most likely casualty of that shift. The only question left is what Cincinnati can get back for one of its most useful and well-liked players.
In Other News...
Bengals Are Bringing Back A Gameday Tradition Fans Now Dread
The Bengals are rolling out their 2026 theme games, and the first one on the list is a familiar orange-heavy kickoff for the home opener on Sept. 13 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Open in Orange is back for a third straight season, giving fans another early chance to turn Paycor Stadium into a wall of team color as Cincinnati opens its home slate.
More theme-game announcements are expected to follow, including Stripe The Jungle and White Bengal, two of the clubs more recognizable game-day looks. For a fan base that has seen these traditions become part of the home schedule, the reveal is less about novelty than anticipation, with the opener again setting the tone for how the Bengals want the stadium to feel from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Orlando Brown Jr. Just Fueled Bengals Hype Around One Rookie
The Bengals used a second-round pick on Cashius Howell and have spent the offseason talking up the Texas A&M edge rushers work ethic and upside. In practices, he has already shown enough to draw attention from teammates, and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has been among the veterans publicly encouraged by what he has seen from the rookie.
Browns praise matters because Howell is not just learning one role. Cincinnati has been cross-training him as an occasional off-ball linebacker to help with a roster need, which adds another layer to a rookie already trying to carve out playing time on a crowded defense. For a team looking for immediate value from its draft class, Howells early progress has become one of the more interesting developments of camp. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bengals QB Jake Browning Already Facing An Unexpected Threat
Jake Brownings move this offseason gave him a fresh start and a chance to compete for a backup quarterback job in Tampa Bay, where his experience should count for plenty early in the process. For a player who spent time developing behind the scenes in Cincinnati, landing in a new quarterback room was supposed to be an opportunity to settle in and show he could be a steady hand if called upon.
The early challenge, though, has come from an undrafted rookie who has turned heads during preseason work and made the depth chart look a little less settled than it seemed at first. Browning still has the edge that comes with having been around the league longer, but the final roster picture is not locked in, and how the rest of camp unfolds could determine whether that experience is enough. [Read more 🡒]