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Despite the Reds’ season being on the brink of collapse and the team still sitting in last place in the NL Central, Cincinnati is still listed as a potential fit to acquire Baltimore Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward.
ESPN writer David Schoenfield is the second reporter to link Ward to the Reds, joining Jeff Passan, who listed Cincinnati as a destination for Ward in early June before the Reds went 9-17 that month. Schoenfield basically said Ward makes sense for the Reds as a supplemental outfield bat, and that Cincinnati isn't completely out of the running for the playoffs.
Ward is hitting .250 with five home runs and a .728 OPS entering July. Ward signed a one-year, $12.175 million contract with the Orioles after hitting 36 home runs last season with the Los Angeles Angels. At 32 years old, he will be a free agent after the 2026 season.
Passan linking Ward to the Reds in early June made sense at the time, but Schoenfield bringing them up as a possible suitor now is a big head-scratcher. He’s having a down year and has struggled since hitting just over .300 in March and April combined. Initially, when I saw the report, I figured Ward would have some team control remaining after this season. However, this would purely be a rental of a 32-year-old corner outfielder who doesn’t hit for power. It seems like a square peg in a round hole.
If the Reds were to trade for someone right now in hopes of turning around the season, names like Mike Trout or Ketel Marte make more sense. Both of their teams are at or near the bottom of their respective divisions, and both players have been rumored as trade chips, with Marte directly linked to the Reds over the past few years. Additionally, both players have 17 home runs, which would tie Sal Stewart for the team lead.
Ward is a trade piece because the Orioles likely don’t want him and will take whatever anyone will give them for the veteran right-handed hitter. The only type of player the Reds should trade for right now, if they are trying to turn the season around, is a shutdown closer or a big-time power hitter who can help stabilize the offense, preferably with multiple years of team control beyond this season. Betting on 2026 would be a fool’s errand for Nick Krall or whoever will be making those decisions before the trade deadline.
That’s assuming they don’t sell, which will probably be the answer anyway. Names like Brady Singer, Sam Moll, Tyler Stephenson and Eugenio Suarez could all have their names floated in trade conversations this July.
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ESPN writer David Schoenfield is the second reporter to link Ward to the Reds, joining Jeff Passan, who listed Cincinnati as a destination for Ward in early June before the Reds went 9-17 that month. Schoenfield basically said Ward makes sense for the Reds as a supplemental outfield bat, and that Cincinnati isn't completely out of the running for the playoffs.
Ward is hitting .250 with five home runs and a .728 OPS entering July. Ward signed a one-year, $12.175 million contract with the Orioles after hitting 36 home runs last season with the Los Angeles Angels. At 32 years old, he will be a free agent after the 2026 season.
Passan linking Ward to the Reds in early June made sense at the time, but Schoenfield bringing them up as a possible suitor now is a big head-scratcher. He’s having a down year and has struggled since hitting just over .300 in March and April combined. Initially, when I saw the report, I figured Ward would have some team control remaining after this season. However, this would purely be a rental of a 32-year-old corner outfielder who doesn’t hit for power. It seems like a square peg in a round hole.
If the Reds were to trade for someone right now in hopes of turning around the season, names like Mike Trout or Ketel Marte make more sense. Both of their teams are at or near the bottom of their respective divisions, and both players have been rumored as trade chips, with Marte directly linked to the Reds over the past few years. Additionally, both players have 17 home runs, which would tie Sal Stewart for the team lead.
Ward is a trade piece because the Orioles likely don’t want him and will take whatever anyone will give them for the veteran right-handed hitter. The only type of player the Reds should trade for right now, if they are trying to turn the season around, is a shutdown closer or a big-time power hitter who can help stabilize the offense, preferably with multiple years of team control beyond this season. Betting on 2026 would be a fool’s errand for Nick Krall or whoever will be making those decisions before the trade deadline.
That’s assuming they don’t sell, which will probably be the answer anyway. Names like Brady Singer, Sam Moll, Tyler Stephenson and Eugenio Suarez could all have their names floated in trade conversations this July.
Continue reading...
