The Cincinnati Reds aren’t built to be buyers at the 2026 trade deadline unless they catch fire over the next month, and that makes this a natural time to think about selling.
The clearest name to shop is Nick Lodolo.
Lodolo just finished the best season of his MLB career in 2025, when the left-hander logged a career-high 156 2/3 innings, struck out 156 batters in 29 games, and posted a 3.33 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP. He hasn’t matched that level this year, but the recent signs are encouraging. In his last two starts, Lodolo hasn’t allowed a run, has given up only three hits, and has struck out 10.
That kind of stretch matters because Lodolo’s value is tied to both performance and timing. He won’t hit free agency until after the 2027 season, and the feeling here is that an extension is going to get expensive enough to make a deal difficult for Cincinnati. If that’s the case, the Reds’ best chance to maximize his trade return is now, when he’s pitching well and staying healthy.
Deadline markets have a way of inflating prices. Teams get desperate, bidding wars break out, and clubs willing to move a valuable arm at the right moment can clean up.
Milwaukee has made a habit of doing exactly that, even when it frustrates its own fans. The Brewers moved Corbin Burnes.
They moved Josh Hader. They moved Freddy Peralta.
The result: nine prospects in Baseball America’s Top 100. Nine.
The Reds are not the Brewers, but the lesson is obvious. If Cincinnati can sell high on Lodolo, it should.
He wouldn’t be the only name worth discussing, either. Tyler Stephenson, JJ Bleday, Brady Singer, Caleb Ferguson, Brock Burke, Eugenio Suarez, and Nathaniel Lowe are all players the Reds should at least listen on if the return makes sense. Singer, Stephenson, Lowe, Ferguson, and Burke are all set to become free agents after this season, and while rentals rarely bring back massive hauls, there’s no reason to keep them around if the team is out of the race.
Cincinnati has already seen how a smaller deal can turn into real value. The Reds got Hector Rodriguez and Jose Acuna for Tyler Naquin. That’s the point: you never know when a prospect is going to hit or when another club will pay more than expected.
If the Reds are serious about building for what comes next, they need to care less about how the move looks and more about what it can do for the organization down the line.
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Reds Face A Huge Alfredo Duno Decision Small-Market Rivals Already Make
The Brewers have turned early extensions into a core part of how they manage young talent, locking up prospects before they ever reach the big leagues and giving themselves cost certainty while those players still have plenty to prove. Cincinnati has watched that model from afar, and it is easy to see why the conversation is popping up now around Alfredo Duno, the organizations top prospect and a catcher with enough upside to make the idea of a long-term deal worth at least considering.
Duno is moving fast enough through the system to make the timing more interesting by the day, with Double-A on the horizon and Triple-A not out of the question before the year is over. The Reds do not have to decide anything immediately, but the broader question is already here: whether a small-market club that needs to keep building smartly should try to get ahead of the market with a player like Duno, or wait and risk paying more once he is closer to becoming part of the big-league picture. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Could Be Heading Toward A Nathaniel Lowe Deadline Decision
The Reds are entering the deadline stretch with one of their more interesting roster questions centered on Nathaniel Lowe, a left-handed power bat who has quickly become a notable trade piece. Jeff Passans ranking of Lowe among the top 100 trade assets only adds to the sense that Cincinnati could have real leverage here, especially if the front office decides it wants to cash in on value rather than simply hold steady.
Michael Toglia gives the situation an internal layer worth watching. The former Rockies first-round pick has been productive in the minors and could be the kind of in-house option the Reds turn to if Lowe is moved, giving the club a chance to replace power without going outside the organization. Whether that becomes the plan may depend on how Cincinnati defines itself over the next few days, since the deadline still leaves open the possibility of a move in either direction. [Read more 🡒]
Carlos Jorge Just Gave Reds Fans Another Reason To Start Wondering
Carlos Jorge has been pushing his way into the conversation for a while, and the Reds moved him again as part of the latest wave of prospect promotions. The outfielder went from Double-A Chattanooga to Triple-A Louisville, a sign that his bat has kept forcing the issue as he continues climbing through the system. Jos Acua and Johnathan Lavallee also got the call to Louisville, giving the Bats a little more organizational traffic on a busy development day.
Jorges appeal has been obvious to anyone tracking the minors: a strong batting average, a lively OPS and enough production to earn Southern League Player of the Week honors for May 26-31. He has also already shown he can rebound from a scary collision with the outfield wall last year, which only adds to the intrigue around how far his momentum can carry him now that he is one step closer to the majors. [Read more 🡒]