MLB Analyst Labels Reds “Typical Sellers” Ahead of Trade Deadline

The Cincinnati Reds are 50-47 and just 2 1/2 games out of the Wild Card spot. However, they have just about an 11% chance to make the playoffs.

The Athletic's Tim Britton and Chad Jennings wrote an article sorting through the buyers and sellers at the MLB trade deadline. The Reds were placed in the "typical sellers" group.

"It's unfair to put the Reds in this tier," they wrote. "They have far better playoff odds than the others, 11.1 percent, slightly better than the Diamondbacks and Guardians...But honestly, what are they going to do? Nick Martinez, Emilio Pagan, Taylor Rogers, and Austin Hays are pending free agents playing well enough to have some trade value, but none is a strong candidate for a qualifying offer."

"Should the Reds really keep those guys when their playoff odds have only briefly jumped above 15 percent this season? Maybe they could try to thread the needle given some of the young talent on the roster, but the Reds just haven't made a compelling move toward the buy side."

Britton and Jennings make a good point. Reds fans are desperate for a playoff appearance. However, it doesn't seem like a smart move to not make moves to improve the roster in the future and lose those guys for nothing in return.

Nick Krall and the Reds front office have some difficult decisions to make. Do you make moves that will better set the team up for future success or do you risk it and put your chips in the middle for a team that has an 11 percent chance to make the playoffs?

Time will tell.

You can read the full Athletic article here.