After an 82-win season in 2023 that narrowly saw the Cincinnati Reds miss out on a playoff spot, the club looked to make the jump in 2024 and reach the postseason for the first time (excluding the COVID year) since 2013. So far, a young Reds team has been unable to build on last season's success.
The Reds are 38-43 — putting them 10 games back in the NL Central and 3.5 games behind in the National League Wild Card race. Cincy is in a difficult position at the trade deadline as it decides whether to push for the postseason or stay patient with its young squad and wait until next year. With so much to consider, here are four Reds players who will be on the trade block ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline.
Jeimer Candelario (3B/1B)
A trade deadline acquisition for the Chicago Cubs last year, Jeimer Candelario jumped to division rivals the Cincinnati Reds in free agency and has continued to swing the bat well. The corner infielder's .480 slugging leads the club, and his 14 homers are also tied for a team-best.
Unfortunately for Candelario, his performance at the plate has not helped the Reds win many games this year. Candelario is in the first season of a three-year, $45 million deal with a club option for a fourth year. The Reds will be reluctant to trade him, but Jeimer Candelario will provide a good haul for a team unlikely to make the playoffs in 2024.
Frankie Montas (SP)
Like Candelario, Frankie Montas is another high-priced free agent (one-year, $16 million deal with a $20 million option for a second season) who was supposed to mold the Reds into a playoff contender.
Montas pitched just 41 Major League innings over the last two years and has struggled to find his stride in 2024. The 31-year-old has a 4.48 ERA while ranking in the bottom third in the league in strikeout and walk rates. Frankie Montas would not be a flashy acquisition for a contending team, but he is a former Cy Young candidate who would be a solid fourth starter on a team needing an arm.
Brent Suter (RP)
After a solid seven-year tenure with the Milwaukee Brewers, Brent Suter has remained a dependable left-handed option out of the bullpen. Suter had a 3.38 ERA last year for the Rockies — the best on the club — and continues to carry a sub-4.00 ERA with the Reds in 2024. Only once in his nine-year career has the lefty finished the season with an ERA above 4.00, an invaluable level of consistency in the bullpen.
Suter will not strike many guys out, but he is posting his lowest post-COVID walk rate and ranks among the best in the league in limiting hard contact. Brent Suter could be an under-the-radar acquisition at the MLB trade deadline.
Nick Martinez (RP/SP)
Do you need a lockdown reliever whose performances are much better than his cursory numbers suggest? Look no further than Nick Martinez. Cincy tried Martinez in a starting role early in the year, but it did not work. The right-hander had a 7.36 ERA in five starts, going 0-3 in those contests. Since switching into a relief role, Martinz has been dominant. The 33-year-old has a 1.87 ERA in 33.2 innings as a reliever, including 12 outings of four outs or more. His 4.25 ERA is a bit off-putting, but Martinez carries a 2.93 expected ERA, suggesting more improvement in the season's second half.
Teams could look to trade for Martinez, landing him at a discount and moving him back into a starting role. It is more likely clubs will look at him as a flexible reliever who can piggyback openers or start to handle more high-leverage situations. Either way, Nick Martinez is a valuable arm that the Reds will likely try to trade ahead of the deadline.
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