The Cincinnati Reds have some exciting bats in their lineup, but don't have a lot to show for it. They're dead last in a weak NL Central division at 35-46 and are missing some players due to injury. Granted, the Reds don't plan on contending for a few seasons. But it would be wise to make some moves to brighten their future.
One move that would benefit them greatly would be to trade Joey Votto. Just named the National League Player of the Week, the All-Star has a 3.8 WAR along with 23 homers, 59 RBIs, a .429 OBP, a 1.050 OPS, and 92 hits. While he did sign a massive extension with the Reds in 2012, trading him to a team like the Yankees would probably make sense considering Votto's 33 years old. Have the Yankees take some of the contract on and the Reds could get some of the Yankees's best prospects. The former NL MVP is still hitting well and his value's still good, but decline always comes to even the best athletes.
What's another option (and a more realistic option) for the Reds is to trade their All-Star shortstop Zack Cozart. This is perhaps the best value you'll get from Cozart, with Cozart hitting .322 with nine homers and 33 RBIs. Cozart could probably fetch a top prospect like Votto can, but he'd be a rental the same way Johnny Cueto was when he was traded from the Reds in 2015. The Reds want to extend Cozart, but why do that when you can get something while Cozart has value? Cozart is far less of a financial burden than Votto is and would be more appealing to a contender because of this, but Votto would fetch quite a bit back for the Reds.
The point is this: The Cincinnati Reds need to make some moves at the trade deadline. Considering that the only noteworthy prospect in recent memory they got was Brandon Finnegan, they've disappointed in their trading. Maybe a big move like getting Votto traded will work. Maybe sending Cozart somewhere else will. Who knows? It all leads back to the Reds needing to make some moves for the betterment of their future.
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