Friday, July 24

With Nick Krall saying no decisions are being made until at least Monday about how the Reds will approach the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline, the president of baseball operations has one goal regardless of what the club does.

“We’re trying to get the best return possible in any deal," Krall said.

Last in the National League Central division with a 47-54 record and with several clubs between them and the final NL Wild Card spot, the Reds will likely have to do some selling before the 6 p.m. ET Deadline.

Cincinnati has seven players set to be free agents after the season, which makes them obvious trade chips. The roster has other players under club control beyond 2026 who could be enticing for contenders.

If there is a sell-off, how deep could it go?

“We’re going to make deals that can make this club better and the organization better," Krall said. "I don’t want to limit anything, but I also don’t want to say we’re going to trade everybody. We’re looking to figure out how to make this club the best we can.”

There are obviously players the Reds don't want to trade, but Krall is willing to field all inquiries from rival executives.

“You have to at least listen on everybody," he said. "Some guys are free agents and some guys have a lot of control left. If you can figure out how to make your club better, then you at least have to listen.

“You have to look at everything. If there’s a baseball trade that makes your organization the best it can possibly be, you have to take a look at it. And I think that no matter who or what, that’s our job – to figure out how to make this organization the best it can be.”

The Reds have plenty of reasons to believe that they can retool – rather than rebuild – for 2027, which is also the final year of manager Terry Francona's contract.

Those reasons begin with starting pitcher Chase Burns, who was signed on Saturday to a seven-year, $105 million contract that will run through 2033. There's also NL Rookie of the Year contender and first baseman Sal Stewart, who leads the club with 21 home runs.

Shortstop Elly De La Cruz has three years of club control left and there are starting pitchers like Andrew Abbott and Hunter Greene and second baseman Edwin Arroyo. Count on the club to also get a good look at No. 3 prospect Héctor Rodríguez, who likely will be promoted from Triple-A Louisville for his big league debut after the Trade Deadline dust settles.

“I think we have a lot of talent on this club," Krall said. "We have a really good young core still.”

Here is a look at the seven soon-to-be-free-agent Reds who could be moved ahead of the Trade Deadline.

RHP Brady Singer

Singer, who turns 30 on Aug. 4, just pitched 6 2/3 innings of three-run ball in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Mariners. After a rough beginning with a 6.18 ERA in his first 11 starts, he has a 2.98 ERA over his last eight.

C Tyler Stephenson 

The backstop is the longest-tenured Red, having debuted in 2020 after being Cincinnati's first-round pick in 2015. After a slow start, Stephenson entered Friday batting .344 with .958 OPS and three homers in 18 games since June 21.

3B/DH Eugenio Suárez 

After hitting a career-high-tying 49 homers in 2025, Suárez has only 13 homers in 72 games this season. But he has also heated up and has hit four homers in his last seven games. A fan favorite and team leader anywhere he's been, Suárez was moved from Arizona to Seattle at last year's Deadline.

1B/DH Nathaniel Lowe

Lowe hasn't gotten a ton of playing time lately with Stewart at first base, but he's a World Series-experienced lefty slugger. He also has three homers in his last five games.

LHP Caleb Ferguson

A veteran who has been moved in each of the last two Deadlines, Ferguson has a 3.98 ERA in 21 appearances and has given up runs in each of his last three games. His last outing on Monday went very poorly.

LHP Brock Burke

Leads the NL with 51 appearances and has a 2.79 ERA overall. He has 39 scoreless appearances, including each of his last six. In Wednesday's win, he allowed one hit over 1 1/3 innings.

RHP Pierce Johnson

Monday was also rough for Johnson, who gave up a season-high-tying four runs in the seventh inning, and he's been scored on in three of his last seven appearances. Overall, he has a 5.28 ERA in 33 games, but has playoff experience. 

Besides his two tours with Cincinnati, Suárez has also had two stints in Seattle, where his popularity was underscored by a huge ovation he received Monday before his first at-bat.

In Tuesday's 4-2 win, Suárez delivered two big moments for Cincinnati. In the top of the fourth inning, he hit a first-pitch fastball from former Reds ace Luis Castillo for a leadoff home run.

“In the first at-bat, they threw me two good [fastballs] and I missed the second one, but that one I was ready for the pitch," Suárez said.

The homer was cheered by many Mariners fans in attendance.

"I think I'm going to hear it for the rest of our lives," Castillo said through a translator. "We have a really good relationship. I don't think I'm ever going to forget that one."

Suárez also made a great backhanded snag on Randy Arozarena's sharp grounder down the line and made an across-the-body throw for the third out in the fifth.

“That was something that made me feel very good because I know I can still play the hot corner and help the team win," Suárez said.

MLB recently released the 2027 schedule and the Reds are slated to host the Cardinals for Opening Day on March 25 at Great American Ball Park. Among the highlights are hosting the Yankees (Aug. 13-15) and Dodgers (Aug. 23-25).

On the road, the Reds will play in Las Vegas for the first time in a regular season when they meet the Athletics June 3-5 at Las Vegas Ballpark.

On Saturday when the Reds host the Pirates, fans can receive a Francona bobblehead that comes with a wins counter at the base. It's available while supplies last. Buy tickets here.

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