MLB Trade Deadline Recap: Cincinnati Reds

Now that the non-waiver deadline has passed, we’re taking a look back at what each team was able to accomplish before 4 p.m. ET on July 31. Next up in our recap series, the Cincinnati Reds.

Cincinnati Reds (46-66), 13.5 GB in NL Central, 17.5 GB in NL Wild Card

ACQUIRED: OF Scott Van Slyke (from LAD), C Henrik Clementina (from LAD)

TRADED: LHP Tony Cingrani (to LAD)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

The Reds were pretty inactive in July, swinging just one deal as the clocked ticked toward 4 p.m. ET on the 31st. Lefty Tony Cingrani, in the midst of a down year, was shipped to the Dodgers for Scott Van Slyke and Henrik Clementina.

The package for Cingrani wasn’t at all impressive-- Van Slyke has regressed rapidly since a solid year for the Dodgers in 2014 and Clementina doesn’t even rank among the club’s top 30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline. But the fact the club was able to get two players for a lefty with a 5.40 ERA is something, at least.

Reds GM Dick Williams entered the deadline with limited trade chips, as Cingrani, Drew Storen, Scott Feldman and Zack Cozart being the club’s most rumored trade options. A pre-deadline injury to Feldman and zero market for Cozart, an All-Star, limited the Reds’ options significantly, leading to only the small trade of Cingrani.

Cincinnati has dealt away key players over the last few years, with Todd Frazier, Aroldis Chapman, Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Dan Straily all leaving town. These moves mean that the Reds’ rebuild is currently in the awkward stage of not having attractive trade assets and not winning at the major-league level, significantly handicapping the club all season.

If the Reds look to make some impact moves before next year’s deadline, they could move Feldman or Cozart before the waiver trade deadline and look to trade Raisel Iglesias this winter. Iglesias, who has been very effective for the hapless Reds this season, drew some trade interest but came with an extremely high ask price, as one would imagine for an effective reliever under club control through 2020.

For a complete list of our trade deadline recaps, click here.