With nine days left until the trade deadline, our question of the week is straight-forward. We asked our panel of experts.
Question: Who is the most likely Reds player to be traded at the July 31 trade deadline?
Jordan Barhorst: For me, it’s a tie between Yasiel Puig and Jose Iglesias. It all comes down to whether or not the front office is willing to deal Puig – a no brainer if they aren’t planning on re-signing him or offering him a Qualifying Offer. However, as we’ve all seen, there seems to be some force keeping the Reds from trading their popular players in July. If Puig is off the table, Jose Iglesias could be an attractive option for a playoff bound team. Impactful shortstops are a rare commodity, and Iglesias is definitely that, if only with his glove. Any team acquiring him can bank on Gold Glove quality defense, and can dream on his bat heating up like it did earlier this season.
Nick Carrington: It comes down to Yasiel Puig or Tanner Roark for me. I hope they look for a good deal for both, but my guess is Roark gets dealt. Alex Wood is on his way back, and if the Reds need another starter, they can use Lucas Sims, whose had an up and down year at Louisville but has strong stuff. Roark is an upgrade for somebody; he’s not an ace by any stretch, but he will bulldog his way to an average or slightly above season. For a team fighting for a playoff spot, Roark provides the ability to keep his team in almost any game, even if he isn’t stellar. The Reds can replace him this season and can find someone comparable in 2020, either internally or externally. They have little hope of making the playoffs and have no reason to keep an impending free agent like Roark around.
Chad Dotson: Tanner Roark seems most likely to be traded before the deadline. Of the players who are not under contract with the Reds after this season, he and Yasiel Puig likely have the most value on the market. I don’t think Puig will be traded for a number of reasons (among which are that, as I’ve said before, I think fans would revolt), so it’s Roark. Many teams find themselves believing they are still in the playoff race, so it’s not difficult to imagine that Roark would be in some demand: he’s reliable and healthy. Do I think the Reds can get much of a return for him? No, not unless it’s part of a larger package, but I definitely see some team needing an arm to stabilize their rotation down the stretch.
Wes Jenkins: Tanner Roark – With his contract coming up and nearly every team needing more back of the rotation guys, I will be shocked if Roark is still a Red in August. The real question here is: Will the Reds get anyone of note for Roark? Probably not. More likely than not, this trade deadline is shaping up to be an uneventful affair for the Redlegs. No one the industry wants the Reds to move are available and no one the Reds want (controllable pieces) are available. Such is the curse of the in-between buyer/seller stage. At the end of the day, doing something often looks the same as doing nothing.
Bill Lack: Roark, though I don’t thing he’ll bring much, a AA prospect, maybe in some team’s top ten. He’s the only person that has any value that they have some possible replacement for, without seeming to throw up the white flag on the season. The other player everyone is talking about it Puig. I think they’d be better off holding onto him. He wouldn’t bring what he’ll be worth to the Reds for the rest of the season. If they hold on to him, they can either try to resign him or make him a qualifying offer (which will likely bring a draft pick or one more year of his services). There is no apparent replacement for him the rest of the season, if he were traded.