This MLB trade season has already seen one non-contender trade for a top of the rotation arm.
Heading into the deadline on Wednesday, it’s possible another could follow suit. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Cincinnati Reds are talking to the Cleveland Indians about acquiring ace starter Trevor Bauer.
This move would seem to be odd on the surface. Cincinnati heads into Tuesday’s play with a 49-55 record and completely out of the playoff race.
However, the team’s ownership group has made it clear that a full-scale rebuild is not in the cards. The blockbuster trade for Yasiel Puig last winter magnified this.
As it relates to Bauer, he’s most recently been in the news for throwing a fit after being pulled from a start this past weekend. The former All-Star is pitching to a 9-8 record with a 3.75 ERA this season.
He’s under team control through next season. That helps explains Cincinnati’s interest in him.