The Cincinnati Reds are sitting on one of the more interesting trade chips in the market, and it might be the one nobody is talking about: Tyler Stephenson.
With the August 3 deadline approaching, Cincinnati has a chance to turn expiring-contract pieces into a serious haul of young talent. Stephenson stands out as the kind of player who could bring back real value if the Reds decide to move him.
The fit with the Yankees makes too much sense to ignore. New York is desperate for a right-handed-hitting catcher, and Austin Wells has been a major problem at the plate.
Among hitters with at least 200 plate appearances, his 42 wRC+ is the second-worst mark in the league. He missed about two weeks after landing on the IL with cervical headaches in early June, but the offense has somehow gotten even colder since he returned on June 21.
In that span, he has hit .122/.140/.265, which works out to a 4 wRC+.
The Yankees have been linked to Hunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies and Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins, but those paths look shaky. MLB insider Bob Nightengale reported that the Rockies are not planning to trade Goodman, while the Twins do not intend to move Jeffers unless they fall out of the race. Minnesota is currently three games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central and tied with the Seattle Mariners for the final AL wild card spot at 48-49.
That leaves New York with limited options and growing pressure to act. If the Yankees come calling, Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall could have plenty of leverage.
On the surface, Stephenson’s .238/.319/.361 line does not jump off the page. His 86 wRC+ is a clear step up from Wells, though it falls short of the numbers posted by Jeffers and Goodman. Still, Stephenson has a history of producing above-average offense for a catcher, and the underlying numbers suggest there may be more there than the surface stats show.
His .429 xSLG is well above his actual slugging mark, and his 90.5 miles per hour average exit velocity ranks in the 72nd percentile. He has also produced a 44.6% hard-hit rate, which sits in the 69th percentile, along with a 40.4% launch angle sweet spot percentage that ranks in the 94th percentile. Taken together, those numbers point to a hitter who has been striking the ball hard and in the right spots, even if the results have not fully followed.
That idea is reinforced by the expected metrics. Stephenson’s .304 wOBA is ordinary, but his .331 xwOBA suggests an above-average bat no matter the position.
He would also give the Yankees something else they badly need: elite pitch blocking. Stephenson ranks in the 100th percentile in pitch blocking runs, which would be a meaningful upgrade over the slightly-above-average work Wells has provided.
And if the Reds are looking for a return, the Yankees have pieces that could interest them. Spencer Jones would be the dream target, but he was reported last year to be untouchable in trades for anyone other than Paul Skenes, so that does not sound realistic.
A more workable path could involve Jace Avina, the 23-year-old Double-A outfielder who is hitting .269/.357/.535 with 17 home runs and could be nearing a promotion to Triple-A. Avina, originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021, is the Yankees’ No. 19 prospect and could reach the majors in 2027.
If Cincinnati added another arm such as Kyle Carr or Cade Smith from the middle of New York’s prospect list, the Reds could land close-to-MLB-ready talent while giving the Yankees a legitimate answer behind the plate.
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