The Reds are looking to move their rental pieces, reports C. Trent Rosecrans and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Cincinnati fell to 44-53 with a blowout loss to the Rockies this afternoon. The club is seven games out of the final NL Wild Card spot.
The report notes the Reds are intent on trading players with expiring contracts. It doesn’t mention whether the organization would be willing to part with players who still have team control. Sources also tell Rosecrans and Rosenthal that Cincinnati would consider bringing in big-league talent that would help the club in the near future. Here’s a rundown of the rental players up for grabs…
The 29-year-old righty is one of the most expensive players on the roster. He made $12.75MM in his last year of arbitration. Singer has not covered himself in glory heading into free agency. He has a 4.56 ERA supported by a 4.41 xFIP and a 4.37 SIERA across 19 starts. Singer’s 19.2% strikeout rate is the second-lowest mark of his career.
Home runs have been a major issue for Singer this season. He’s been taken deep 21 times, tied for the fifth-most in the league. One might assume getting him out of hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park would help, but that actually hasn’t been the problem. Singer has a sub-3.00 ERA at home. His homers have been split almost evenly between GABP and road venues. Singer has been a workhorse, so his durability could intrigue teams in need of reliable innings.
[Related: Reds Trade Deadline Outlook]
The follow-up to Suarez’s 49-homer season has not gone as planned. He’d posted an 85 wRC+ through 271 plate appearances heading into Saturday. Suarez’s strikeout rate, which has always been elevated, has exploded to a career-worst 35.8%. He’s been a subpar defender at third base (-5 Defensive Runs Saved). An oblique injury cost the veteran a month of action.
Suarez returned to Cincinnati on a $15MM deal with a mutual $16MM option for next season. He’s almost certainly heading back to the free agent market this offseason. Trading for him would be blind faith that his power stroke returns over the final two months of the year.
The Reds added Lowe on a minor league deal. It looked like a huge win for a couple of months. The veteran first baseman carried an .895 OPS into June. He’s fallen back to earth since then, but his wRC+ still sits at a solid 114 before Saturday’s game. Lowe has been an above-average bat every season except last year, when he struggled in stints with the Nationals and Red Sox. He’d fit nicely as a platoon bat/bench option for a contender.
The longtime backstop has also stumbled ahead of his first foray into free agency. Stephenson is slashing .238/.318/.359 across 74 games. He’s posted -6 DRS behind the plate. Stephenson has shown some power in his time with the Reds, and he has a strong 21.6% pulled air rate this year. The home runs could be coming. Stephenson might be a nice fallback for teams who miss out on Ryan Jeffers.
The Relievers (Pierce Johnson, Caleb Ferguson, Brock Burke)
This seems like the most likely group to be moved. They’re all pitching reasonably well and should find themselves on playoff teams after the deadline. Johnson joined the club on a $6.5MM deal. He has a 4.23 ERA, though a 6.24 xERA is cause for concern. Johnson has picked up five holds and a save as a member of Cincinnati’s high-leverage mix.
Ferguson and Burke are likely to have the attention of teams looking for lefty help. The former shook off an early-season oblique strain to deliver a 1.76 ERA through June. Ferguson has been scored upon a few times in July, but he’s generally been reliable, despite a dip in velocity. Burke has been one of the most-used relievers in the league. Only Mason Fluharty of the Blue Jays has more appearances than Burke’s 48. The veteran has chipped in nine holds and a save. He has a sub-3.00 ERA, though it comes with a 4.48 xERA and a 5.07 xFIP.
Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images
