MLB teams
Mike Petriello, ESPN Insider 9y

Why Reds should trade Cueto

MLB, Cincinnati Reds

Back in February in this space, I wrote that the Cincinnati Reds needed to trade Homer Bailey for offensive help sooner rather than later. The reasoning behind that was simple -- in 2013, the Reds had finished a middle-of-the-pack 15th in team wRC+, and their disappointing offseason had consisted of watching the very productive Shin-Soo Choo depart while importing only mediocre backups Skip Schumaker and Brayan Pena.

Instead, the Reds signed Bailey to a long-term contract and attempted to get by with what they had, ultimately winning fewer games than they had since 2008. Though it didn't happen in exactly the way we might have expected -- stars Jay Bruce and Joey Votto each had poor years, while Todd Frazier and Devin Mesoraco carried the load -- the offense was indeed a huge anchor, sinking to an 83 wRC+ that wasn't just the second-worst in Major League Baseball, it was very nearly the worst in the last 50 seasons of Cincinnati baseball.

Nine months later, the Reds are again in a similar position. This team, as constructed, doesn't look like a playoff contender. There are plenty of holes in the lineup and limited dollars to fix that. Once again, the most appealing Cincinnati trade chip is a top pitcher entering the final year of his contract. This time, the Reds can't make the same mistake and stand pat. It's time to trade Johnny Cueto.

^ Back to Top ^