Amed Rosario Trade Rumors: Reds Discussing Possible Deal for Cleveland SS

The Cincinnati Reds are reportedly "discussing" a potential trade pursuit of Cleveland Baseball Team shortstop Amed Rosario, who was acquired from the New York Mets in early January as part of the blockbuster deal sending Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to the Mets.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reported Thursday the Reds are deciding whether acquiring Rosario "might make sense."

The 25-year-old Dominican Republic native looked like a star in the making during his breakout 2019 season. He posted a .287/.323/.432 triple-slash line with 19 stolen bases and 15 home runs in 157 games.

His production dipped in 2020. His OPS dropped from .755 to .643 with four homers and no steals across 46 appearances during the coronavirus-shortened campaign.

Rosario needs production at the plate to make up for his lackluster defense. He registered a negative-35 defensive runs saved figure across four years with the Mets, per FanGraphs.

The shortstop, who was ranked as the fifth-best prospect in the league in 2017, said in September he's at his best when given the freedom to be himself.

"Yeah, so for me it's been a tough couple of years. I think what's benefited me is when people underestimate me," Rosario told reporters. "That's kind of when I'm able to take advantage of that and be able to do what I want to do. I think sometimes the biggest problem is that some people want me to shine the way that they want me to shine and I think that plays to my advantage because I'm able to play my way."

Jose Garcia, the Reds' sixth-rated prospect, is penciled in as the club's starter at shortstop for 2021 after getting his first taste of MLB action last season. He struggled with plate discipline, striking out 26 times in 67 at-bats en route to a .206 on-base percentage.

Trading for Rosario would give Cincinnati more freedom to bring Garcia along slowly and, once he's ready, perhaps Rosario could change positions to reduce the impact of his defensive issues.

It's unclear what Cleveland is seeking in return for the shortstop, but he was a key piece of the package for Lindor and Carrasco, so it would probably want a couple building blocks for the future.