Bullet point summary by AI
- Cincy plummeted to last in the NL Central after an eight-game skid. If the struggles continue, the front office may sell key veterans at the trade deadline.
- High-value targets include power hitter Nathaniel Lowe, starter Brady Singer, and veteran Eugenio Suárez. Bullpen depth like Emilio Pagán is also on the block.
- Flipping these players allows the Reds to gain prospect capital and clear roster space for rising stars like Edwin Arroyo while resetting for the future.
The Cincinnati Reds lost eight straight prior to Saturday’s much-needed victory over the Houston Astros. After running out to an early lead in the hyper-competitive NL Central, the Reds bled their advantage away and now sit dead last. Now, it’s far too early to panic, especially with a 21-19 record. But the vibes in Cincy have certainly soured over the past week.
If the Reds keep slipping — and there’s reason to believe they might given the holes in their lineup and an underperforming, beaten-up rotation — the trade deadline could bring about major changes. That’s always a risk in smaller markets. Here are a few players who could end up on the chopping block:
1B Nathaniel Lowe
The Reds inked Nathaniel Lowe to a one-year, prove-it deal worth less than $2 million after a dreadful 2025 campaign. Lowe is a big, powerful lefty who has enjoyed tremendous success throughout his career, but last season was a real stinker — to the point that Washington waived him outright. Lowe picked it up a bit in 34 appearances with Boston to end the season, with a .280 average and .790 OPS over that span. Still, expectations were low coming into the year.
Given all his achievements, including a World Series victory with Texas in 2023, it’s easy to forget Lowe is only 30 years old. He’s still in his prime, and an early-season Eugenio Suárez injury opened up a lot of DH reps for Lowe, which he has taken advantage of. He’s sitting at a .909 OPS and 147 OPS+ on the young season, both of which would be career highs (by a lot). He has six homers, 16 RBI and he’s a former Gold Glove winner.
This is a prime opportunity for the Reds to flip a zero-risk, low-cost signing into legitimate prospect capital. If Cincy falls out of contention, even a little bit, you couldn’t ask for a more obvious sell-high candidate.
RHP Emilio Pagán
Emilio Pagán is in the middle of what could be an extended absence due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain, which came on the heels of a bumpy start to the season. The veteran closer has a 6.43 ERA and 1.43 WHIP with 11 strikeouts in 14.0 innings and six saves.
The numbers under the hood aren’t too encouraging (4.73 xERA), but Pagán has an excellent track record. Just last season he put up a 2.88 ERA with a career-high 32 saves as the anchor of Cincy’s bullpen. We know contenders will shell out assets for high-leverage relievers, even those who aren’t currently throwing their best stuff. There’s a willingness to bet on positive regression with guys of a certain pedigree.
Pagán still leans heavily on the fastball and cutter, with a splitter that can pull the chair on an unassuming hitter. At 35 and on an expiring contract, he won’t net a massive haul, but the Reds ought to consider a breakup after 2.5 seasons.
RHP Brady Singer
Brady Singer was a hot topic in trade rumors this past offseason coming into a contract year. The numbers aren’t sexy, but he has 150-plus innings pitched is each of the last four seasons. MLB teams will pay good money (and prospects) for durability in the rotation. Singer eats innings and typically keeps the damage in check.
He’s off to a slower start this season, in line with Cincinatti’s overall struggles on the mound. What was supposed to be one of the better rotations in MLB has been anything but, especially of late. Singer has a 5.63 ERA and 1.64 WHIP through eight starts and 38.1 innings.
Still, he has a low 5.6 percent walk rate, and there’s reason to believe he can settle in. Even if he’s not a lock for any team’s postseason rotation, Singer can provide invaluable depth to help a team reach October. The Reds will need to listen to offers.
3B Eugenio Suárez
Eugenio Suárez inked a one-year deal to return to his old stomping grounds in Cincinnati after a slow-moving free agency period. He hit a career-high 49 homers last season, but teams clearly didn’t trust Suárez’s iffy hit tool and often disastrous defense. Especially after his production plummeted with the Mariners, who acquired him from Arizona at the 2025 deadline.
Suárez hasn’t played since late April with a strained oblique, and his .663 OPS doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that he has “figured it out.” But Suárez’s power is a real weapon, and it often shows up in clutch moments. Just circle back to his magical WBC run with Venezuela.
Last season’s second-half collapse will make certain teams weary at the deadline, and Suárez has mostly DH’d in Cincy this season. He was effectively their Plan B after whiffing on hometown kid Kyle Schwarber. At the end of the day, though, anybody who can hit 49 home runs will have a home in the league, and there will be contenders hoping Suárez can produce the inverse of last season’s results and heat up down the stretch. The Reds also have red-hot prospect Edwin Arroyo to clear space for in the infield.
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