The Cincinnati Reds are waiting until after the All-Star break to become sellers or not, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
The Reds are 30-35 and are 12.5 games back of the St. Louis Cardinals, who have the best record in all of baseball. Cincinnati is also dealing with key injuries in Homer Bailey and Zack Cozart.
The team has a few valuable pieces they could trade, with second baseman Brandon Phillips being the primary candidate. Phillips is having a bounce back season after struggling in 2014. He’s hitting .295 with three homers and 26 RBIs in 58 games this season. Phillips is in the eighth year of a 10-year, $98 million contract he signed in 2008. It may be difficult for Cincinnati to unload his contract without taking on some of his payroll.
Johnny Cueto is another guy that could be traded by the Reds. The 29-year-old is in his prime and has been dealing since 2011, finishing second in the Cy Young race last year behind Clayton Kershaw. Cueto is 4-4 on the season with a 2.98 ERA in 90 2/3 innings. He will defiantly garner interest from some contenders, with the Tigers being rumored as an option. Cueto will be the Reds most valuable trade option and will require the most in return.
Jay Bruce is another lifer that might exit Cincinnati before the trade deadline. The 28-year-old is signed through 2016 with a team option for 2017, but he we haven’t seen the production that Bruce once offered. He is currently hitting .232/.339/.427 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs. He will most likely get interest from a number of teams but Cincinnati may have to take on some of his contract if they want to get anything valuable in return.
You may also see the Reds shop Joey Votto and Todd Frazier if they decide to clean house, which I don’t see happening.
