The Cincinnati Reds are sitting in one of the trickiest spots on the trade market right now. They look like sellers, but not the kind that strip the roster down to the studs. The more likely move is dealing players on expiring contracts before next week’s deadline, with Tyler Stephenson and Brady Singer standing out as the names to watch.
Of that group, Stephenson may be the most valuable chip the Reds have available unless they decide to shop bigger long-term pieces such as Hunter Greene and Elly De La Cruz. That makes him a fascinating piece of the deadline puzzle, especially with so many clubs hunting for catching help.
Stephenson should draw a strong return if Cincinnati makes him available. He’s one of the better catchers on the market, and the demand is real. Some teams in need of help behind the plate are already in a tougher spot than others, which only adds to his appeal.
C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic pointed to the New York Yankees as the clearest fit in Stephenson’s market, and that connection has been building for weeks.
"The New York Yankees are the most obvious team in need of a catcher, though league sources indicate the Yankees prefer a catcher with more offensive production. That said, there’s not an easy player to find," Rosecrans wrote. "Stephenson’s offensive production has improved since the start of June, hitting .310/.355/.487 in 121 plate appearances.
"Defensively, he’s been baseball’s best ABS challenger, getting an MLB-best 68 reversals and winning his challenges at 71.58 percent. Only the Kansas City Royals’ Salvador Perez (71.67 percent) has a better winning percentage among catchers with at least 50 challenges. Stephenson also has the second-most challenges (95), behind the Milwaukee Brewers’ William Contreras (122)."
Catching has been a problem for the Yankees all season, so Stephenson would make sense as a meaningful upgrade if they’re serious about chasing down the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series race.
New York would probably rather land someone like Hunter Goodman, but if he remains with the Rockies, Stephenson looks like a strong fallback for the Bronx Bombers.
And the Yankees may not be the only team in the mix. The Reds could try to spark a bidding war with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Boston Red Sox, all of whom could use help at catcher.
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The Reds have been looking for more depth behind the plate now and beyond, with Tyler Stephenson moving closer to free agency and the internal answers still not looking like starting-caliber solutions. O'Hoppe fit the profile of the sort of catcher Cincinnati could use, which is why a trade like this lands as more than a transaction elsewhere. It is another deadline-era signal that help at that spot does not stay available for long. [Read more 🡒]
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The Reds are expected to be active before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, and some of the names in play could come from the kind of roster spots that always draw attention this time of year. That usually means expiring contracts, but it can also mean controllable players who have enough value to interest other clubs, especially if theyve shown real progress at the plate and can help a contender right away.
JJ Bleday fits that second category, which is why his name is worth watching even if Cincinnati would prefer to keep him around. He has been one of the clubs better offensive pieces this season, and with two more years of team control, he brings the sort of cost certainty teams like to covet. The problem for the Reds is that they also need outfield help of their own, and moving a player who has become more reliable would only sharpen the question of how they plan to fill that depth. [Read more 🡒]
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When the Reds summoned Edwin Arroyo in June, the move made sense as a short-term answer with Elly De La Cruz sidelined. Arroyo got thrown into a tough spot, learning on the fly at the major league level while trying to help stabilize the infield, but the longer this has gone on, the clearer it has become that Cincinnati is facing a decision it can no longer keep kicking down the road.
Matt McLain is nearing the end of his rehab assignment and has looked sharp enough to make the next step feel inevitable, especially with his glove at second base giving the Reds a steadier option. Arroyo, meanwhile, has struggled to make much of an impact in either phase of the game, and once McLain is ready, the club will have to decide whether to keep riding with the rookie or send him back to Triple-A Louisville and reset the infield picture. [Read more 🡒]