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...
Reds Fans May Hate Whos Emerging As A Deadline Casualty
The Reds approach to the trade deadline is starting to take shape, and it points toward a front office willing to reshape the roster rather than chase a short-term fix. Spencer Steer is one of the more useful pieces on the club because he can move around the diamond, and he has been producing at roughly his career level while the team weighs its next move during the All-Star break.
What makes the situation more delicate is the bigger picture around the lineup. Recent additions Eugenio Suarez and Nathaniel Lowe have not given Cincinnati the kind of impact it hoped for, which has only sharpened the sense that the club may need to sell and recalibrate. If the Reds do follow that path, the question becomes how much of their current core they are willing to consider moving. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Draft Pick Matt Ponatoski Faces A Decision Fans Feared
Matt Ponatoskis path to pro baseball has reached the sort of crossroads Reds fans were bracing for when his name came up in the 18th round of the 2026 MLB Draft. The Archbishop Moeller standout was drafted by Cincinnati with the understanding that he also has a football future waiting at Kentucky, where he had planned to arrive as a quarterback and, for a time, keep both sports in play.
The next step comes with a hard deadline, as Ponatoski has until 5 p.m. on July 27 to sort out his baseball future. Recent coaching changes at Kentucky have added another layer to a decision that was already complicated, and for the Reds, the wait now becomes the story as they find out whether one of their late picks will ever make it to a professional diamond. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Just Made One Draft Pick Fans Never Saw Coming
The Reds added a little surprise to their 2026 draft haul when they used a 17th-round pick on Northwestern dual-sport athlete Jack Lausch, better known around Evanston for his work at quarterback. Lausch also put together a strong baseball season for the Wildcats, giving Cincinnati a late-round name with real athletic upside and a background that fits the organizations recent appetite for talent with some versatility.
Lausch came after the Reds had already addressed the top of the board with a pair of shortstops, including Virginias Eric Becker in the second round, as the front office leaned heavily into infield help. Scouting director Joe Katuska said the club felt good about how its draft board unfolded, and Lausch gives the class one more intriguing wrinkle as the Reds continue to stockpile options for the future. [Read more 🡒]