Glenn Kaplan
The Cincinnati Reds have a 35-38 record this season in the MLB. They are currently in last place in the National League Central. Things will not get any easier for Cincinnati this weekend as they will begin a three-game series on the road against the New York Yankees. The Yankees currently sit in first place with a 45-28 record in the American League East.
The Reds are 10.5 games back of the Milwaukee Bucks for first place in the division. Cincinnati is also three games back of the San Diego Padres for the final wild card spot in the National League. They were the final wild card team in the National League during the 2025 MLB season. What move does this franchise need to make if they want to find a way back into the playoff field in 2026?
Jim Bowden of the Athletic lists the Cincinnati Reds number one need
Jim Bowden of the Athletic listed one need for each MLB team as the 2026 MLB trade deadline approaches. He said about what the Reds need, “Need: Bullpen
The Reds are focused on improving their bullpen and have significant minor-league infield depth to make that happen. They prefer to trade for relievers with control beyond this year rather than rentals, if possible.”
Cincinnati has the third worst bullpen ERA in the entire MLB at 4.93. The Minnesota Twins with a 5.12 bullpen ERA and the Colorado Rockies also with a 5.12 ERA are worse in the bullpen that the Reds are. Cincinnati’s bullpen has also given up 43 home runs this season and they have a WHIP of 1.54. It is not very good. What has not helped Cincinnati’s bullpen this season is that Emilio Pagan and Pierce Johnson are currently on the 15-day injured list. That has no doubt hurt the Reds bullpen big time. Pagan leads the team in saves this season with six.
Potential Trade Market
The one thing that the Reds do not need is starting pitching. They have a good starting rotation. However, there will be a bigger market for starting pitching at the trade deadline rather than the bullpen. Some noticeable starting pitchers that could be traded are Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers, Sonny Gray from the Boston Red Sox, and Joe Ryan from the Minnesota Twins. The only big name that is going to be on the trade market is Aroldis Chapman.
Chapman is currently pitching for Boston. He started his career with the Reds. Chapman pitched for them from 2010-2015. What if the Reds wanted to trade for him? The only thing is that he is 38 years old. Cincinnati would probably want to trade for someone that is younger. Chapman would make better sense for a team that is a true World Series contender. Cincinnati is not a true World Series contender. Sadly, for this franchise, this franchise may not be able to make a move for a relief pitcher at the MLB trade deadline.
If they want to go bold and add another starting pitcher or bat, they might have a better chance of adding one to the roster.
