What Do the Reds Need to Buy at the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline?
If the Cincinnati Reds decide to push some of their chips in to contend in 2025, which players should they target at the deadline?

We are less than a week away from the July 31st MLB trade deadline. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, it’s go time.
Entering play on Friday, June 25th, the Cincinnati Reds own a 53-50 record and are right in the thick of the Wild Card race in the National League.
Trying to discern what this franchise will do at the deadline is a bit difficult. The goal is always to win championships, at least it should be. But, for this team, making the playoffs and even winning a series would be something Reds fans have not seen in a long time.
The Reds have not had a non-COVID playoff berth since 2013. Beyond that, baseball’s oldest franchise’s last playoff series win came against the Dodgers in 1995. With that kind of drought, it is okay to want to push a few chips in and try to make the playoffs and make a bit of noise.
But, that may not happen. In 2023, the Reds found themselves a few games over .500 at the trade deadline, and their only acquisition was relief pitcher Sam Moll. With all due respect to Sam Moll, that is not the type of move that screams playoff aspirations.
Reds’ players have that aspiration as current closer Emilio Pagan offered his thoughts after a 5-2 win over the New York Mets this past weekend saying, “For us to come in here like this and take the series the first two games with the chance to go for the sweep tomorrow. You know this is what we talked about. We talked about coming out of the break hot and trying to force the organization’s hand to go get some help for us and see what we can do for the Reds’ fans and try to do something special.”
Every Reds fan who heard the quote from Pagan was probably jumping for joy. However, those comments from Pagan followed a comment from General Manager Brad Meador telling FOX19, “We’re certainly looking and talking to every team and figuring out how we can in the short term help this team and at the same time we’re not going to hurt ourselves long term by selling our best prospects, we’re not doing that. We’ve talked about sustainable success here and what that means. To do that, we have to be able to focus short-term and long-term at the same time.”
Now, what exactly does that mean? Do the Reds plan to hold on to every top prospect they have? Are they willing to move some and not all? We won’t know until the trade deadline passes.
I will say this, I think at times we can get caught up in prospect talk while forgetting that prospects are exactly that. A prospect. They are an asset to an organization to either be used on the field or used to acquire other players to put on the field. Not every prospect is meant to grow from the bottom of the organization to the big league club. That’s not how this sport works.
Sustainable success is the dream for any organization, but for a small market team, that is very difficult. A lot of people point to the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians for overall sustainable success in a small market. When was their last championship? For the Rays, the answer is never, and Cleveland hasn’t won a championship since 1948.
The Kansas City Royals do in fact have a World Series title in the last decade as a small market team, and they also have multiple 100-loss seasons. So which would you prefer?
Consistently in the playoffs and never getting over the hump? Or some ebbs and flows that result in some down years, but also a championship or two?
For small market teams, sustainable success may just be overrated.
With that, the goal is to win this year. The Reds should buy. It is important to note that things can change quickly. Teams go from sellers to buyers and buyers to sellers in the last ten or so days leading up to the deadline. For this Reds team, sure, that could happen. But, as things stand right now, this Reds team should be a buyer.
So, let’s look at some needs heading into the deadline and some guys the Reds could acquire without giving up a major prospect haul to fill those needs.
All stats taken before play on July 21st
What Do the Reds Need at the Deadline?
Bullpen, bullpen, bullpen.
The Reds sit in the middle of the pack in bullpen ERA with a 3.89 ERA as a unit. The Reds’ bullpen is just 22nd in the league in strikeouts and ninth in home runs allowed.
With Great American Ball Park being one of the most hitter-friendly environments in all of baseball, this bullpen does not have enough guys who can get swing and miss or weak contact on the ground.
The Reds desperately need right and left handed high leverage arms that fans, teammates, and coaches can have confidence in. Pagan has done a good job in the closer spot so far this year, but wouldn’t it be great if he had a running mate or two that could even slot him down to the 7th or 8th inning?
If you had asked me a week ago, I would have told you the Reds need one more bat for this lineup, specifically an outfielder. TJ Friedl is in center field every day, and Austin Hays should be in left field every day, but he has been hurt multiple times this season.
After that, your outfielders are an inconsistent Will Benson, Jake Fraley who is playing hurt, Connor Joe who is a guy, or Santiago Espinal or Gavin Lux who should not be playing the outfield.
With the injury concerns for Hays, adding another right handed hitting outfielder would have been ideal. Then, on Sunday, the Reds started typical third baseman Noelvi Marte in right field. Marte has been productive in his small sample at the plate so far this season, but the defense at third has been a real problem. Maybe a move to the outfield will yield better results.
However, that leaves Santiago Espinal or Gavin Lux to play third base every day. And for the positives each have as a player, I feel much better having them in supporting roles.
So, will the Reds look to add a third baseman? C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reported that there is mutual interest between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Reds in a deal that would bring All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suarez back to Cincinnati, where he spent seven of his first eight seasons in the big leagues.
However, when pairing Meador’s comments with the argument that Suarez is the most impactful bat on the market, it seems like a long shot that the Reds will match the asking price for Suarez that other teams are more motivated to meet.
Another option to upgrade this lineup could come internally and that is if Just Baseball’s 72nd overall prospect Sal Stewart gets a shot this season.
The young third baseman was promoted to Triple-A Louisville after the All-Star break, coming off a first half where Stewart hit over .300 and struck out less than 16% of the time. For a Reds team that is tied for seventh in all of baseball in most team strikeouts, his approach at the plate could be a welcome sight. If he gets off to a good start in Louisville, he could just get the call.
Overall, I believe an impact bat is needed for this team. I’m not convinced that this front office is willing to pay the price to acquire one.
This starting rotation has been the backbone of this team the entire season and it has been that even without ace pitcher Hunter Greene since the beginning of June. There are no additions to be made there.
Let’s get to names.
Bullpen Options
Holding off on any offensive additions for this club, we are looking for a righty and a lefty that combine for high strikeout totals and the ability to get weak contact on the ground.
Griffin Jax – RHP – Minnesota Twins
In 2025, Jax has pitched to a 3.83 ERA while striking out almost 38% of batters. In 2024, Jax was truly elite as he had a 2.03 ERA, and while his ERA is considerably higher this season, he has been pretty unlucky. Jax’s expected ERA for 2025 is 2.99, one of the best in baseball.
The 30-year-old right-hander is an elite strikeout artist, as his 38% strikeout rate is in the 98th percentile in all of baseball. And oh yeah, he has a ground ball rate of almost 46% as well.
Jax has two more years of control after this season, which drives up the price possibly to a point the Reds won’t want to go. But, buying with control also helps the Reds’ quest for sustainable success.
I think Jax is the biggest name to dream on at this deadline for the Reds. And he is a name worth dreaming on as he would become arguably the best arm in this bullpen if the Reds were able to make it happen.
Hoby Milner – LHP – Texas Rangers
Will the Rangers sell? They are a team where the answer is still a bit up in the air.
For as good as the ERA says Taylor Rogers has been this season for the Reds, it just doesn’t feel that way. And the metrics back up that feeling as his 2.73 ERA is met with an expected ERA of 3.85. Not to mention the fact that it feels like every inherited runner comes across the plate with Rogers on the bump.
Enter Milner, a funky lefty who absolutely does not give up hard contact and is in the 91st percentile in ground ball rate at 54.1%. Sporting a 2.30 ERA with a 3.24 expected, Milner’s ability to induce weak contact and get out of a jam would be a welcomed addition to this club.
Anthony Bender – RHP – Miami Marlins
Bender, a sweeper/sinker/slider guy, is having statistically an awesome year as he is sporting a sub-2 ERA, although the underlying metrics say he has been more fine than great.
Bender is a reliever with control that I don’t think is going to cost very much in terms of prospect capital. While Bender may not be the most inspiring move out there, he would be a positive addition to this bullpen as a 7th inning guy who keeps the ball on the ground at a 50% clip.
Seranthony Dominguez – RHP – Baltimore Orioles
Dominguez, a flame-throwing righty, would certainly be a big addition to this Reds bullpen as a strikeout artist late in games as he is striking out over 31% of batters this season. Hitters chase, hitters miss, they can’t catch up, and when they do the contact is weak. His 3.72 ERA is puzzling until you realize he is in the 1st percentile in walk rate at a whopping 14.7%.
Dominguez would be a rental addition, but one with playoff experience. In over 17 innings of work in the postseason, Dominguez has surrendered just two earned runs and four walks. That experience is something this club desperately needs.
Brock Stewart – RHP – Minnesota Twins
Another Twins reliever. It’s a good thing we aren’t making any offensive additions because Willi Castro would have fit in here as well.
Stewart is similar to teammate Griffin Jax where strikeouts are the name of the game. Like Dominguez, Stewart is striking out over 31% of batters putting them in the 92nd percentile in strikeout rate.
Stewart is having a fantastic season as he is sporting an unlucky 2.67 ERA ( the expected stats are even better) and he has thrown just over 30 innings this season. That low inning total can be a huge bonus as arms start to wear down towards the end of the year.
JoJo Romero – LHP – St. Louis Cardinals
Inter-division trades do not happen very often. And the Cardinals have just as good a chance of buying as the Reds do, as only one game separates these two in the standings. But, if they do choose to sell, Romero is worth the call.
A lefty who lives on the sinker/slider combo gets results. A 2.37 ERA can give thanks to the 54.3% ground ball rate. Romero has multiple years of success and is controllable for one more season.
With closer Ryan Helsley getting ready to enter free agency maybe that motivates the Cardinals to keep Romero even if they do sell, but he is worth the shout as a guy who isn’t gooing to deplete the farm and potentially be a big boost to the squad.
Honorable Mentions: Jake Bird (COL), Gregory Soto (BAL), Danny Coulombe (MIN)
Final Thoughts
The Reds aren’t going to be in the Emmanuel Clase or Jhoan Duran sweepstakes. If they surprise us with a move like that, then hallelujah. But, it isn’t expected. That doesn’t mean that this team can’t make real moves to significantly push this team to the postseason.
Maybe a move comes that we don’t expect such as trading from the starting pitching depth on the big league roster, or a couple of those top prospects do end up moving.
Whatever it may be, this front office can’t stand pat. They cannot move beyond the trade deadline without adding some firepower to this team and bullpen specifically. This team and fanbase deserve that. It’s time to make it happen.
Nick Krall, the floor is yours.