Cincinnati Reds Trade Rumors: Tracking Hot Updates, News and Reaction

The 2015 MLB season hasn't gone the way the Cincinnati Reds would have liked, so now it's time for the club to face some important decisions.

Injuries to some key players—like pitcher Homer Bailey, catcher Devin Mesoraco and shortstop Zack Cozart—have made it difficult for this club to stay close to the .500 mark, let alone contend. There is almost no way the team can make a run at the division title, and at this point, even earning a wild-card spot is a long shot.

Knowing that the 2015 season is essentially over, Cincinnati's front office needs to look at what's best for the long-term interests of the organization. And that means that it's time to say goodbye to some players.

With two wild-card spots in each league, there are plenty of teams still in contention—and very few who consider themselves "sellers." That means the Reds will be able to hold bidding wars for the assets that they choose to dangle at the deadline. The team should be able to get a nice return on its veteran players.

Keep coming back throughout July to see what rumors the Reds are involved in and what deals they make before the trade deadline passes.

*All stats are via MLB.com

Done Deals

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July 26: Traded RHP Johnny Cueto and cash to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for LHP Brandon Finnegan, LHP John Lamb and LHP Cody Reed

July 31: Traded RHP Mike Leake to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for RHP Keury Mella and 1B/3B/LF Adam Duvall

July 31: Trade RHP Mike Leake to Giants

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The Cincinnati Reds have traded Mike Leake to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for right-hander Keury Mella and infielder/outfielder Adam Duvall.

Leake turned out to be one of the Reds' best first-round picks in recent memory, starting from the moment he skipped the minors and went straight to the big leagues. The former first-round pick went 62-47 with a 3.87 ERA in his five-plus seasons in Cincinnati.

Not many people expected the Reds to be able to get a No. 1 prospect for Leake, let alone just for two months of Leake. It did, however, probably help that he allowed just two runs in his final 30 innings (0.60 ERA), going 4-0 in four starts, in a Reds uniform.

Its tough to say goodbye to a player who has been such a big part of the team for years, but it had to be done. The 27-year-old is in the final year of his contract, and to make sure they got something for him, the Reds traded him. They could always look at bringing him back this offseason if they want.

As for the return package, Cincinnati did well.

Mella, 21, was the Giants' No. 1 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com. The right-hander was 5-3 with a 3.31 ERA and a 1.127 WHIP in 16 starts at High-A this season. He has struck out 83 batters in 81 innings, while walking just 26.

As for his stuff, there's a reason he was San Francisco's top prospect. Mella has a lively fastball that can touch the high-90s, a power curveball and a solid changeup. The stuff is there and so is the control, which means he has the makings of a good major league pitcher.

The Reds were able to get a bat for Leake as well. In Duvall they got somebody who can provide some pop. He was hitting .279 with 26 home runs, 25 doubles, two triples and 79 RBI in 99 games at Triple-A this season. He got his feet wet in the majors last year, ironically homering off Leake in his debut. He hit .192 with three home runs and five doubles in 28 games with the Giants in 2014.

Duvall has played first, third and left field, so there are some options for him. Obviously he doesn't have a future at first base with the Reds. Depending on how long Todd Frazier is with the team, third base may not be an option either. For now, Duvall looks like he could play some left field if/when he gets a shot with the big-league club, which could be sooner rather than later if Marlon Byrd is traded. Even if he doesn't have a starting spot, he could provide much needed power to the bench.

It's hard to see how the Reds could have done better in a trade for Leake. Whatever team traded for him was only going to get two, maybe three, months out him. And for a pitcher with less-than-overpowering stuff, some teams aren't willing to give up top prospects. However, the Reds found a great match.

Cincinnati added yet another arm to its farm system and added a power bat, something that was desperately needed. This trade should go over very well in Reds country.  

Is Aroldis Chapman the Next Reds Pitcher to Go?

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Update: Friday, July 31 at 2:57 p.m. ET

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports, talks between the Reds and Diamondbacks are dead.

Update: Friday, July 31 at 1:57 p.m. ET

The Astros are "trying hard" to land Chapman, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.

Update: Friday, July 31 at 1:20 p.m. ET

The Diamondbacks' proposal include right-hander Braden Shipley (listed as No. 4 prospect by MLB.com) and one or two more top-10 prospects, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports.

Update: Friday, July 31 at 1:17 p.m. ET

According to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, an official involved in Chapman talks say that it's "50-50" that the Reds will move the closer.

Update: Friday, July 31 at 11 a.m. ET

The Diamondbacks are now considered "long shots" for Chapman, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports. Other teams have reportedly made stronger offers than Arizona. Per CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, the Yankees are "not likely" to land Chapman.

Update: Thursday, July 30 at 9:30 p.m. ET

According to ESPN's Jayson Stark, the Diamondbacks, the Yankees, the Astros and the Giants are all still in on Chapman.

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reported that the Diamondbacks are still waiting on a response to their proposal.

Update: Wednesday, July 29 at 8:04 a.m. ET

The Reds are "examining offers" for Chapman, according to ESPN's Buster Olney, who adds that there's no sense as to whether Cincinnati is as committed to completing a deal involving the All-Star closer as it was Johnny Cueto.

Update: Tuesday, July 28 at 3:18 p.m. ET

The Arizona Diamondbacks have talked to the Reds about Chapman, according to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan.

Update: Monday, July 27 at 5:50 p.m. ET

The San Francisco Giants have inquired about Chapman, according to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi.

Update: Saturday, July 25 at 2:51 p.m. ET

Cincinnati is asking for "three higher-level prospects" in exchange for Aroldis Chapman, clubs that have spoken with the Reds about their closer tell ESPN's Jayson Stark.

That the Reds are asking for such a large return isn't all that surprising, considering that the club has never really seemed enamored with the idea of moving their closer in the first place.

--End of Update--

Johnny Cueto would certainly fetch nice a return, but one could argue that Aroldis Chapman is the most valuable trade chip the Reds have.

The left-hander is the best reliever in the game and would give any contender a shutdown closer. He hasn't been nearly as dominant this season as he has been in years past, but he has also set an extremely high standard.

Chapman's WHIP (1.183), strikeouts per nine innings (15.7), walks per nine (4.8), and hits per nine (5.8) are all worse than last year's numbers. Of course, the strikeouts are still there as always—just not quite as much as 2014.

For whatever reason, Chapman goes through some stretches where he's not on his game. But even then, he's better than most of the relievers in baseball.

The 27-year-old reliever is making more than $8 million this season and will likely make eight figures next season. The fact that the four-time All-Star is under team control through the 2016 season makes the return on him greater than it would be a year from now. 

Cincinnati has the young pitching to be on the cusp of playoff contention next season if it can get some nice pieces in trades this season. Chapman would certainly help the club get some young pieces, but he could also help the club next season—and he's a money draw. It's up to the front office to decide what to do with its star reliever.

July 26: Trade Johnny Cueto to Royals

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The inevitable has finally happened—Johnny Cueto has been traded.

The Cincinnati Reds traded Cueto to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for pitchers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed. Fox Sports' Jon Morosi reported that the Reds are also sending the Royals cash in the deal.

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal was the first to report that the trade was happening.

Cueto has been with the club since signing as an 18-year-old back in 2004. The team has watched him go from a raw teenager to a legitimate ace through the years. This has been the best pitcher development the organization has had in recent memory, and it's not even close.

However, he developed into such a good pitcher that the club can no longer afford to pay him. The 29-year-old pitcher made the National League All-Star team last in 2014 and has finished in the top five of NL Cy Young award voting twice in the past three seasons—including second in 2014. .

Unfortunately, Cueto is in the final year of his contract and is set to get paid this offseason. The Reds can't afford another giant contract, so it was time to say goodbye to the ace.

Kansas City needed someone who go could head-to-head against other teams' aces in the postseason, so they aggressively went after Cueto. There was reportedly a slight delay in trade talks as the result of medical issues for a Royals player, but in the end, the two sides got a deal done.

There was plenty of interest on the market, but the Reds felt the Royals offered the best package. In return for their ace, the Reds got a package of young players.

Brandon Finnegan is the player in the package who has the most big-league experience, appearing in 21 regular-season games and seven postseason games the past two seasons. During the regular season, the 22-year-old has been fairly impressive, posting a 2.59 ERA and a 1.149 WHIP.

Although Finnegan was used exclusively out of Kansas City's bullpen, Cincinnati intends to use him as a starter.

In Lamb's case, the Reds are getting a pitcher who is really starting to figure things out. A fifth-round pick in 2008, the 25-year-old is 9-1 with a 2.67 ERA in 17 starts in Triple-A this season. He has 96 strikeouts to just 29 walks in 94.1 innings in 2015.

Lamb appears to be ready for a shot in the majors, which is something the Reds could give him now that Cueto is gone. Cincinnati has plenty of young arms battling for spots in the 2016 rotation, and adding Lamb to the mix would only add to the competition.

The 19-year-old Reed has been mighty impressive since being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second round of the 2014 draft. The left-hander has posted a 1.75 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP in 21 games (18 starts), including a 1.37 ERA in seven starts at Single-A this season.

Cincinnati knew that Cueto was going to be gone after this season if it didn't trade him. By trading the final two months of his contract, the club got a lot controllable years in young pitchers in return.

Trade Candidate: LF Marlon Byrd

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Update: Wednesday, July 29 at 2:44 p.m. ET

Byrd could be on the New York Mets' radar, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.

--End of Update--

Cincinnati acquired Marlon Byrd this past offseason with the hope that he would fill the hole in left field and help the team get back to the postseason.

Well, he has pretty much lived up to expectations. The team just hasn't won as much as it had hoped. That means Byrd could be a good trade chip.

Two years ago, Byrd helped the Pittsburgh Pirates break a postseason drought after joining them in a midseason trade. The veteran outfielder could do the same thing for a team once again this season.

Byrd got off to a dreadful start at the plate and then missed more than two weeks this season with a fractured wrist. Even with all of that adversity, he still clubbed 14 home runs in the first half of the season.

The 37-year-old outfielder is making $8 million this season, an affordable amount for a player with his power. The only thing that could deter potential suitors is his $8 million option for 2016 that vests with 550 plate appearances this season. If he plays every game the rest of the season, he would reach that mark. A few off days here and there would make it a little bit tougher for him to reach that mark.

Trade Candidate: LHP Manny Parra

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Manny Parra may not be the most coveted player on the market, but he could potentially help a contender in need of a left-handed specialist.

Parra is currently having a nice rebound season after struggling mightily last year. Before his final outing of the first half, the southpaw was holding left-handed hitters to a .125 average, and right-handers aren't much better at .208.

The 32-year-old has essentially just been used for left-handers this season, throwing just 16.1 innings over 23 appearances. Every bullpen could use a specialist, so if any team needs a left-handed reliever, Parra could be available.