The Cincinnati Reds are still on top of the NL Central with a 58-49 record, but their recent slide has definitely been concerning. With that said, it's not wrong to assume that they will make some moves ahead of the MLB trade deadline in a bid to keep their position at the top of the division and get back to contention.

However, the Reds might have some reservations when it comes to moving some of their top prospects for impactful players that could end up being just mere rentals. According to the latest reports, Cincinnati remains confident that some of the youngsters they have could still be helpful for them in their bid to make the playoffs and fight for the World Series title, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

“The Reds remain active in trade conversations, but reluctant to trade major-league-ready prospects for starting pitchers who could amount to two-month rentals. In the Reds’ view, some of those youngsters might end up helping them this season, and internal reinforcements are on the way,” Rosenthal reported.

“Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo both could return by the end of August. The bullpen down the stretch should be deep enough. If anything, the offense of late has been a bit of a concern. Prior to their 9-0 win over the Dodgers on Sunday, the Reds were averaging 4.25 runs per game in July, down from 5.67 in June. Their dip coincided with the regression of Elly De La Cruz, who had a .644 OPS in July following an .881 OPS in June (June 6 was the date of his debut).”

The Reds have gone 3-3 in their last six games, so there's no denying that they need some help to make sure they stay on top of the NL Central. With the Milwaukee Brewers right on their tail at 57-49 so far, there is some much-needed urgency for Cincinnati to resolve their current predicament.

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No one will blame the Reds if they decide to keep their roster as it is. They topped the division with the players they have, and there's still hope they can get the swagger they had earlier in the season. But then again, if their fall continues, they might look back at the MLB trade deadline and regret the moves they didn't make.

For now, fans will just have to wait and see what the Reds will do. Hopefully whatever they decide will yield positive results for the team.