There might not be a team in baseball that’s struggling more than the Cincinnati Reds right now. The Reds seemingly can’t manufacture any sort of offense unless it’s Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain driving each other in. Even then, these two potential stars have gone cold after a fast start to the year.
The Reds don’t have much help coming in Triple-A, though they will return Austin Hays and Tyler Stephenson from the injured list soon. With that in mind, the Reds need to make a trade before the season turns from bad to worse.
One player who makes sense as a potential trade target is Baltimore Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad.
Kjerstad, 26, was one of the best prospects in the Orioles’ organization for quite some time before landing in the big leagues. He’s in the big leagues for good, it seems, but there’s still a bit of a battle for everyday playing time.
With that in mind, the Orioles could afford to trade their outfielder for a pitcher, and the Reds have more pitching than they know what to do with.
Cincinnati could trade Andrew Abbott to the Orioles in a deal that returns Kjerstad, among others. The Orioles would need to include quite a bit more to steal the consistent lefty from the Reds, but it’s the framework of a trade that would benefit both teams.
Baltimore doesn’t necessarily need Kjerstad for the long-term outlook of the team, but the addition of a healthy Abbott would put the team in a prime position to contend for years to come.
The Reds need to add offense anyway they can. Rhett Lowder is looking to return to the rotation this season when he’s healthy, which would make it tough for Abbott to find consistent time in the big leagues. Chase Petty and Chase Burns could potentially crack the big leagues this season, too.
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