The Reds are heading toward the trade deadline with a hard reality staring them in the face: if they’re truly in sell mode, they can’t afford to let JJ Bleday be the name that gets moved.
Cincinnati’s surprise push to the postseason in 2025 is over, and that changes the conversation fast. The club’s best pieces suddenly look like the kinds of assets that could be dangled for help, but Bleday should be treated differently. For the Reds, he ought to be off limits.
Bleday is starting to deliver on the kind of upside that made the Miami Marlins take him fourth overall in 2019. He’s trimmed the strikeouts, drawn more walks, and unlocked more power. He’s also on pace for a career best in home runs and RBI, which is exactly the kind of production teams spend years hoping for from a former top pick.
The contract only makes him more complicated. He’s making just $1.4 million and still has two years of arbitration left before free agency.
That makes him the sort of player plenty of teams would love to acquire. It also makes him the sort of player Cincinnati should be reluctant to ship out.
The Reds’ outfield situation only sharpens that point. Earlier in the season, the organization had a group of movable pieces who could shuttle between Triple-A and the majors: Rece Hinds, Will Benson, Jake Fraley, Stuart Fairchild, and Blake Dunn.
Of that group, only Benson and Dunn remain in the organization, with Benson outrighted to the minors and Dunn currently on the IL. That kind of thinning depth makes Bleday even more important.
Spencer Steer adds another layer to the deadline picture. He’s also drawing trade interest, and for good reason.
He’s been a dependable fourth outfielder, and his ability to handle every position except catcher, shortstop, and pitcher this season gives him extra value. He’s also tracking toward his fourth straight 20-homer season, which makes him a clean fit for teams looking for a low-risk bat, especially clubs that struggle against lefties.
Steer is under contract through 2028, just like Bleday, and Cincinnati could bring back a solid return if it moved him. But if Steer goes, that only raises the stakes around Bleday. The Reds would need to keep him.
There is some danger in betting on Bleday too heavily. He put together a strong 2024, then slipped enough in 2025 that the Athletics moved on from him.
His expected numbers suggest he’s running a little hot, especially in slugging. Still, the choice is clear: the Reds would be better off letting Bleday settle in with them than trying to patch together the rest of the season with Noelvi Marte, TJ Friedl, and Ivan Johnson in the lineup.
In Other News...
Joey Votto Reaches A Proud New Milestone For Reds Fans
Joey Vottos next act is taking shape in the broadcast booth, where the former Reds star is set to make his debut as an analyst for NBCs Sunday Night Baseball. NBC Sports confirmed in February that Votto would be part of its coverage plans, adding another familiar baseball voice to a group that already includes Clayton Kershaw and Anthony Rizzo on pregame duties.
For Cincinnati fans, it is another reminder that Vottos connection to the organization has not faded with his playing days. He has already made several appearances on MLB Networks MLB Now and even left a lasting mark at Great American Ball Park by donating a clock to the stadium, and now he is moving into a national spotlight that should keep him close to the game he helped define for so long. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Veterans Suddenly Look Like Deadline Trade Bait Again
The Reds deadline posture is starting to look a lot more like a sellers market than a push to add around the edges. With August 3 approaching, Cincinnati is reportedly zeroing in on players on expiring contracts, a group that includes Eugenio Surez, Brady Singer, Tyler Stephenson, Brock Burke, Nathaniel Lowe, Caleb Ferguson and Pierce Johnson. It is the kind of list that tells you the front office is at least willing to listen, especially when a roster has veterans who can help a contender and a club still trying to sort out its own direction.
Surezs recent uptick, Lowes bargain contract and the appeal of left-handed relief help all give the Reds some movable pieces, even if nothing has been finalized. The bigger question is how far Cincinnati is prepared to go if interest builds, because the market can change quickly once teams start hunting for pitching, catching and bullpen depth. For now, the names are out there, the deadline clock is ticking and the Reds look as if they could be one of the more active teams to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Former Mariner Eugenio Surez Returns With Trade Deadline Tension Hanging Over Him
Eugenio Surez has given the Reds exactly the kind of post-injury spark that tends to stir up July conversation. After missing a month with an oblique strain, the veteran third baseman has settled back in and started driving the ball again, the sort of stretch that naturally gets noticed with the trade deadline closing in and Cincinnati facing a decision on several players who could draw interest.
Surez has been through this before, with multiple moves already on his resume, so the possibility of another one is hardly foreign. Even with that backdrop, he has kept his focus on the field, and there was also a more personal moment recently when he and Ezequiel Tovar connected over the earthquakes in Venezuela, a reminder that the deadline noise is only part of the story surrounding him right now. [Read more 🡒]