The shortage of right-handed hitting shortstops may end up putting the Reds in a spot they didn’t exactly plan for.
With the trade deadline closing in, Jeremy Peña and Zach Neto have been two of the names drawing the most attention. Peña, though, doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. Houston general manager Dana Brown has reportedly rejected the Boston Red Sox’s attempts to pry him away before next Monday’s deadline, and industry sources are describing the Astros as buyers rather than sellers.
Neto also looks unlikely to move. MLB.com beat writer Rhett Bollinger said he remains skeptical that interim GM John Mozeliak is truly shopping the Angels shortstop, pointing to Neto’s three years of team control and Los Angeles’ desire to compete.
That leaves Cincinnati in an awkward but potentially useful position. The Reds are not being described as a team that’s shopping Matt McLain, but maybe they should be.
It would be selling low, no question. McLain is on a rehab assignment at Triple-A and is expected to be activated soon, but before landing on the injured list with a calf strain he was hitting just .190/.293/.328 with a 71 wRC+.
Even with that rough line, McLain still carries plenty of appeal. He’s making $2.3 million this season, is under team control through 2029, has minor-league options left, and was a former first-round pick.
He’s also a strong defender at second base, can handle shortstop well enough, and has even logged some time in the outfield this year. That kind of versatility makes him a natural “change of scenery” candidate.
There’s also the matter of Edwin Arroyo. McLain was already splitting time at second base with the rookie infielder before the injury, and Arroyo’s numbers aren’t far behind McLain’s. The bigger difference is cost: Arroyo is headed toward the league minimum while McLain will be due a raise through arbitration.
The Reds haven’t usually taken this kind of approach. Fans have watched players like Nick Senzel, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Rece Hinds spend multiple seasons in the system, only to see their value fade before the organization moved on for very little in return.
Still, a deadline market thin on right-handed hitting infielders can change the math fast. If another club gets desperate enough, Cincinnati could find itself with a real decision on its hands.
And that’s the real question here: what is McLain worth? The Reds won’t know unless they put him out there.
If the offers are weak, they can always keep him. But if a team is willing to pay anything meaningful for a player who may have already worn out his welcome in Cincinnati, Nick Krall and the front office would have to listen.
In Other News...
Reds Suddenly Have A Trade Deadline Problem Fans Feared
Spencer Steers afternoon ended early when the Reds utility man left the game after hurting his right wrist, and Edwin Arroyo took over in his place. The immediate concern is medical, with X-rays next to help the club figure out how serious the issue is for a player who has become part of the broader conversation around Cincinnatis deadline plans.
The timing only adds to the uncertainty for a Reds front office already weighing whether to take a softer sell approach in the coming days. Steer is one of several names circulating in trade talk, alongside Tyler Stephenson and Brady Singer, so any injury update now matters on two fronts: what it means for the lineup in the short term and what it could mean for the market as the deadline approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Have Found The Deadline Arm They Can't Realistically Get
The Reds are still shopping for controllable starting pitching as the deadline approaches, and the market keeps circling back to arms that can help now without forcing a long-term commitment. One pitcher drawing attention has been turning in a strong season for Seattle, giving Cincinnati the kind of profile it wants if the front office decides to push for rotation help rather than settle for a rental.
The problem is that Seattle is in no hurry to move a starter with that kind of value, especially with its depth making it easier to say no than yes. Any serious conversation could require the Reds to put together a heavier package than they might prefer, and the names floating around in that kind of deal suggest negotiations would not be simple. [Read more 🡒]
Joey Votto Just Reopened One Of Reds Fans Deepest Wounds
Joey Votto has been making the media rounds lately, and in the process he has been reflecting on the long, complicated arc of his Reds career. On MLB Networks MLB Now and NBCs Sunday Night Baseball, the former Cincinnati star revisited the highs and the frustration that came with spending so many years as one of the franchises defining players, while also pointing to Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony as a hitter who reminds him of himself.
For Reds fans, any Votto appearance tends to stir up old memories, because his name is tied to both excellence and some of the clubs most painful moments. He acknowledged that people around the game may know his Cincinnati run, but not always for the reasons he would prefer, a reminder of how the public still frames that era. Even now, Votto can still reopen that wound just by talking about what those years meant and how they are remembered. [Read more 🡒]