The Cincinnati Reds are staring at a tough spot in 2026, but they’re still close enough to the race that a deadline push could change the conversation fast.
At 39-46, Cincinnati sits in last place in the NL Central and trails the Milwaukee Brewers by 14.5 games. In the Wild Card picture, the gap is smaller - 6.0 games back - which keeps the door cracked open if the Reds can put together a run.
If they’re going to make that move, the outfield has to be addressed. ESPN’s David Schoenfield pointed directly to Baltimore Orioles slugger Taylor Ward as a possible answer, tying Cincinnati to the 108 OPS+ outfielder in trade chatter.
“ Houston Astros /Cincinnati Reds: trade for Taylor Ward,” Schoenfield writes. "... Astros outfielders are hitting .220/.295/.381 while Reds outfielders are hitting .218/.308/.368 for matching OPS totals of .676 through Tuesday - tied for 25th in the majors."
Ward would bring a clear upgrade. He’s hitting .728 OPS this season with a .250 batting average, along with a 66-walk to 86 strikeout ratio and 1.5 bWAR in half a season.
There’s also a fit factor here. Schoenfield noted that the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, and other clubs looking for right-handed help could be in the mix, but Cincinnati makes sense if it stays in the hunt.
The clock matters too. The Reds would have to remain within reach of the postseason before the MLB trade deadline passes on August 3.
If they do, Ward could be exactly the kind of veteran rental the front office targets. He’s due $12.18 million, and while he may not come at a massive price, he would be a major step up from what Cincinnati has gotten in the outfield.
That group has been uneven, with J.J. Bleday struggling in June and TJ Friedl, Spencer Steer, and Noelvi Marte all listed as replaceable options.
Cincinnati may still wind up selling, but if the Reds decide to buy, Schoenfield sees Ward as the best deadline target to help them right now.
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Astros Outfield Hope Just Landed A Huge National Honor
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At just 18 and already holding his own at Single-A, Kevin Alvarez has started to build a case as one of the more intriguing names in the Houston system. He is batting .266 with six home runs and 30 RBIs, and he has climbed to No. 70 on MLBs prospect rankings, a reminder that the Astros may be looking at a future answer in the outfield even if that timeline is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Face Painful Deadline Choice With Young Pitching Now In Play
AJ Blubaugh has become one of the more interesting names floating around Houstons deadline conversations, and that says plenty about where the Astros are right now. The right-hander has handled a heavy workload in his first major-league season and done it with a 3.36 ERA over 56 1/3 innings, giving the club a useful arm in the bullpen while also reminding front-office decision-makers that he is exactly the kind of controllable pitcher contenders hate to move.
The Astros still have several needs to sort through before the deadline, including help from the left side of the outfield, another right-handed reliever and possibly a starter, which is why young, affordable pitching is suddenly part of the discussion. Blubaugh is under team control for five more seasons, and Houston has shown before under Dana Brown that it will part with promising players when it believes the return can help now, but for the moment the bigger question is whether the club can improve without sacrificing too much of the depth it has spent years building. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Pitching Depth Takes Another Hit At The Worst Time
Houstons pitching depth has taken another hit at a time when every arm matters, with Kai-Wei Teng landing on the injured list after a recent stretch that had already raised concerns. The right-hander had been struggling on the mound, and the move offers some explanation for why his performance had slipped as the Astros tried to piece together enough dependable innings.
Tengs latest stint in the organization has also carried an unusual procedural wrinkle, since the club had initially sent him to Triple-A Sugar Land before this latest development changed the picture. Houston has not yet announced a corresponding roster move, leaving one more open question for a staff that could hardly afford another one. [Read more 🡒]