The Cincinnati Reds finished 76-86, which was good enough for fourth place in the highly competitive NL Central. With a questionable roster heading into 2015, will the Reds look to trade two notable players of theirs to get value and either rebuild or fill other holes?
One of these players is outfielder Jay Bruce. According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the team has "engaged in preliminary discussions on deals involving the two-time All-Star right fielder, according to major-league sources. Though club officials say the team is merely listening on players rather than shopping them, a trade of Bruce for more cost-effective talent would be a major step toward retooling with a lower payroll in 2015."
Bruce is owed $12 million in 2015, $12.5 million in 2016 and then has a $13 million team option for 2017. Despite three consecutive seasons with at least 30 home runs and 97 RBIs, Bruce had an uncharacteristically poor campaign in 2014 (after hurrying back from a knee surgery in May), slashing .217/.281/.373 with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs. This was likely a result of various injuries, including ones to Joey Votto (played only 62 games) and Brandon Phillips (missed over 40 games), which greatly affected the offensive production. According to sources, the Reds offered Bruce two contract extensions before last season, but he turned them down.
And now, with a number of MLB clubs looking for power-hitting outfielders, there is a market for Bruce. All of the teams who are reportedly interested in Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas would probably at least talk to the Reds about a trade for Bruce. This includes the Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners. Based on Bruce's production in previous years, many teams would consider his $12 million annual price tag a bargain. Rosenthal says the Padres have already spoken to the Reds about the outfielder, but nothing has developed.
The other player who could potentially be involved in trade talks is starter Johnny Cueto (20-9 with a 2.25 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 2014). The team picked up his $10 million option for 2015, but they face a predicament because along with him, starters Mat Latos, Mike Leake and Alfredo Simon are all free agents after this upcoming season. The team already has $82 million in payroll committed to next season, not including any dollars that are owed to arbitration-eligible players. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Reds are acting as if this staff is their core, but they won't rule out a fire sale.
If they are unable to sign one or more of them to an extension, it's a possibility the team explores trades for all of them because they can get good value in return, especially from teams who are on the brink of contending for a playoff spot. Although nothing is definite, the Reds could seek a trade partner looking to get an outfielder off their hands, specifically the Boston Red Sox or Los Angeles Dodgers, who both could use a starter. Cueto could be the first to go because he's the best on the staff and John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes, "It would take a huge number to sign Cueto, probably north of $150 million."
However, they can still keep everyone and fill their vacancies at left field and shortstop via free agency. Torii Hunter, Nori Aoki and Michael Morse remain options for the outfield and Jed Lowrie and Asdrubal Cabrera can be cheaper shortstop free agents.
But the team is likely looking beyond 2015, which means trades are the likely possibility since they're going to want something in return for those with expiring contracts.
