Must make trades for each National League Central team: Cincinnati Reds
Trade idea: Acquire Aroldis Chapman
Although the Cincinnati Reds are currently sporting a record above .500, just being middle of the pack isn’t good enough. In all likelihood, the Reds won’t be catching the Milwaukee Brewers in the Central which ultimately could leave them on the outside looking in for postseason play.
Whether they decide to push all their chips to the middle of the table or not, the Reds have the type of talent that can compete with anyone. Yet, no matter how many strikeouts their pitchers manage to register or how many home runs their batters put on the board, when it comes to preserving a lead, the Reds have been awful. Tejay Antone and Brad Brach have been really good this year but haven’t played enough to consider them top notch.
The seemingly always consistent Sean Doolittle has been anything but that this season. His ERA is just north of 4.00, the second-worst of his career. If possible, the Reds should strive to get their hands on Yankees closer, Aroldis Chapman. Granted, the big lefty is having by far the worst year of his career as his ERA is just over 4.00 but, everything still appears to be there. Just earlier this season, Chapman registered the fastest thrown pitch, clocked at 103.4 mph.
Although he isn’t exactly a guarantee when he walks up to the mound anymore, a change of scenery would do Chapman some good. All of the tools are still there, Cincinnati could be the best spot for him to re-find his touch.