The Cincinnati Reds are headed into the All-Star break with the kind of clarity nobody wanted: this is a seller’s team.
With Sunday’s game set to close out the first half, the front office now has time to take stock of a 2026 season that has gone nowhere near the way it was supposed to. And if the deadline picture wasn’t already obvious, it is now.
Buying is off the table. The Reds need to move pieces, not add them.
That reality makes Spencer Steer the name to watch, even if he’s the kind of player fans hate to see go.
On Sunday, Bob Nightengale reported that Steer has become a hot topic around the league. As Nightengale wrote, "The Cincinnati Reds already are getting plenty of interest in Spencer Steer, who can play first base, third base and left field," writes Nightengale. "He’ll be in high demand with so few impact bats available at the deadline."
That kind of versatility is exactly why Steer has value, both to Cincinnati and to contenders looking for help. He’s hitting .244, which sits around his career mark, and his ability to handle multiple spots only makes him more attractive in a market that doesn’t have many impact bats to offer.
For the Reds, though, the bigger issue is that the rest of the roster hasn’t done enough to change the direction of the season. Eugenio Suarez has 10 home runs, a number that makes him look a long way from the player who blasted 49 last season. Nathaniel Lowe’s early spark has also faded; over his last five games, he has one home run.
If those moves had worked out the way the Reds hoped, this could have been a different conversation. Instead, the team has pushed itself into sell mode, and the painful part is that the players with real trade value are the ones most likely to draw interest.
Steer feels like the most likely casualty of that shift. The only question left is what Cincinnati can get back for one of its most useful and well-liked players.
In Other News...
Michigan Finally Faces The Reckoning Ohio State Fans Wanted
Michigans athletic department is staring down another ugly chapter, with the football program under investigation for multiple scandals that have already put the school on the defensive. The allegations include illegal scouting and an inappropriate relationship, and the fallout has only deepened the sense that this is no longer just about one bad episode but a broader institutional mess.
For Ohio State fans, the intrigue is obvious because the Buckeyes have spent plenty of time dealing with Michigan on the field while watching the off-field drama swirl around Ann Arbor. Athletic director Warde Manuel is now at the center of the latest uncertainty, and the full investigation report should bring a clearer picture of how far the damage goes and what kind of leadership changes may follow. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces A Huge Recruiting Week With QB Pressure Rising
Ohio States 2027 class already sits inside the top 10 nationally and carries the kind of per-player quality that keeps the Buckeyes in the middle of almost every major recruiting conversation. Even with that foundation, the next few days matter because the staff is still working through a cluster of high-end decisions, with quarterback Lukas Prock now listing Ohio State among his top five schools and giving the Buckeyes another chance to stay in the mix at the position.
The bigger pressure point is how the board could shift around those announcements, especially with wide receiver Monshun Sales and defensive lineman Karlos May both nearing decisions. Sales is expected to go first, and while Ohio State remains part of the conversation, the Buckeyes are not being viewed as the front-runner there, which only raises the importance of what happens next as the class keeps taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Loses Top In State Recruit To SEC Powerhouse
A prized in-state offensive tackle from Youngstown has already given Ohio State a reminder of how unforgiving recruiting can be, especially when the Buckeyes are trying to keep building around the line of scrimmage. Anthony Blalock Jr., one of the more coveted big men in the 2028 class, had been a name worth watching for a program that continues to lean heavily into trench recruiting while sitting at No. 7 in the 2027 cycle with 18 commitments.
Blalocks choice stings because this is the kind of Ohio prospect Ohio State usually expects to keep home, particularly with the Buckeyes need to stockpile elite offensive linemen. Instead, a different heavyweight program won the battle, leaving Ohio State to regroup and keep pressing on a board where every top in-state miss carries extra weight. [Read more 🡒]