Slugger Linked to Cincinnati Reds as Best Fit

Trade deadline day is officially here and the Reds are still looking for a bat to plug in their lineup.

ESPN.com's David Schoenfield listed ten players he thinks are most likely to get dealt on Thursday along with their best fits.

He listed the Reds as one of the best fits for Braves slugger, Marcell Ozuna.

"Ozuna's trade value is diminished since he's strictly a DH and has struggled for two months after posting a .426 OBP and .883 OPS through the end of May," Schoenfield wrote. "Since then, he has hit .176 with a .600 OPS and has lost some of his DH at-bats to rookie catcher Drake Baldwin. But there's no reason for the Braves to keep him, and the Rangers and Padres happen to have the worst DH production in the majors and could take a chance on an Ozuna hot streak. He did indeed homer Monday and Tuesday, so maybe one is coming."

Ozuna's contract is up at the end of this season, so he would be a rental, but he's the type of power bat that would help the Reds' offense. Although, like Schoenfield wrote, he has really struggled over the last two months. But, Ozuna is known to get hot and he had an OPS of .925 in 2024 and an OPS of .905 in 2023.

I don't think it would take a haul to land Ozuna, but you're taking a risk and hoping you get the player he was up until June of this year and not the player he's been over the last two months.

You can see ESPN's full list here.