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...
Cardinals May Have Just Changed Their Future With This Draft
The Cardinals walked away from the 2026 MLB Draft with a class that has already drawn rave reviews, and it is easy to see why. St. Louis made 24 selections, leaned on the extra capital it picked up through competitive balance rounds and trades, and came away with a group that included six players ranked in the pre-draft top 100.
Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline went so far as to rank the Cardinals class as the best in the league, which only adds to the sense that this could be a pivotal haul for the organization. Now the attention shifts from draft-room praise to the more delicate part of the process, with signing decisions due by the July 27 deadline and at least one notable name already heading back to college. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Fans Had To Love How This Derby Star Was Sent Home
Junior Caminero came into the 2026 Home Run Derby with the kind of power that makes any lineup stop and stare, and he showed it right away. After launching 12 homers in the first round to move on, the young slugger added another layer to his growing reputation as one of the games premier power bats, the same player who has already put up 51 home runs in the regular season and keeps looking like a future Derby fixture.
For Cardinals fans, the appeal was obvious once the bracket tightened and the field got smaller. Caminero was in position to chase a little history as the night wore on, but the matchup that ended his run delivered the sort of outcome St. Louis supporters could appreciate even without a Cardinals bat in the box. The final round of his night came down to a swing count that left just enough room for the home crowd to enjoy the result and wonder how far this Derby star might have gone with one more hot stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Fans Need To See How Fast This Unique Arm Is Rising
Jurrangelo Cijntjes rise has become one of the more intriguing pitching developments in the Cardinals system, and the latest step only adds to the buzz. The switch-pitcher was recently promoted to Triple-A Memphis, putting him alongside a growing group of young arms who are starting to look closer to major league help than long-term projects. Acquired from the Mariners in the Brendan Donovan trade this offseason, Cijntje has already made himself hard to ignore because of the simple fact that he brings a rare weapon to the mound.
What has made the move even more notable is the way he has begun to settle in on the field. In two July starts, Cijntje allowed two runs while striking out 17 over 12 innings, a strong stretch that stands out even with a season ERA of 5.04. He has mostly worked right-handed, with only brief left-handed usage in games, but that unusual profile is part of what makes his climb so compelling for a Cardinals organization that is watching its Memphis rotation with real interest. [Read more 🡒]