Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings July 17, 2015 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1986-The Reds win, 7-6, over the Phillies, with the winning run coming off a Pete Rose triple, the last of his major league career. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER After All-Star Game, time to talk Reds trades By C. Trent Rosecrans / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @ctrent With the All-Star Game in the rearview mirror, the next major hurdle is the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31. The Reds will have to make some major moves and will likely trade away potential free agents Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake. Reliever Manny Parra and catcher Brayan Pena are also free agents at the end of the season. There could also be some bigger moves – like Jay Bruce and Aroldis Chapman being traded away – but the team's best trade chip, third baseman Todd Frazier, is staying put, at least according to general manager Walt Jocketty. Player: RHP Johnny Cueto 2015 stats: 6-6, 2.73 ERA 113 strikeouts, 22 walks in 118 2/3 innings Contract status: A free agent at the end of the season, owed the remaining portion of his $10 million salary for 2015. Why would the Reds trade him?: If healthy, he's going to cost a lot more than the Reds can afford in free agency. He's also worth much more on the trade market than the draft pick a qualifying offer would net. Why would other teams want him?: He's a bonafide top-of-the-rotation starter. For any team looking for someone to start Game 1 of a playoff series, Cueto is as good of an option as any. Possible matches: Astros, Blue Jays, Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, Royals, Orioles, Cubs Player: RHP Mike Leake 2015 stats: 6-5, 4.08 ERA 79 strikeouts, 31 walks in 114 2/3 innings Contract status: A free agent at the end of the season, owed the remaining portion of his $9.775 million salary for 2015. Why would the Reds trade him?: Leake will be a free agent at the end of the year. They could hold on to him and offer him a qualifying offer, and if he doesn't accept, get a draft pick. Why would other teams want him?: Leake's an innings eater, and there's a ton of value in that. He has the occasional stinker, but he can be very good when he's on the top of his game. Any team looking for rotation depth will likely have interest. Possible matches: Astros, Royals, Yankees, Tigers, Dodgers, Pirates, Cubs, Rangers Player: LHP Aroldis Chapman 2015 stats: 3-3, 1.69 ERA, 18 saves, 65 strikeouts, 20 walks in 37 1/3 innings Contract status: Entering his final arbitration-eligible season before becoming a free agent after the 2016 season. He is owed the remainder of his $8.05 million salary for 2015. Why would the Reds trade him?: What good is an elite closer without games to close? That's a question the Braves asked themselves before the season before trading Craig Kimbrel. Chapman has more value now than he will in a year, and it's unlikely the Reds will be able – or want – to sign him when he's a free agent following the 2016 season. Why would other teams want him?: He's the best closer in baseball. Any team that is seriously contending would love to have Chapman on the mound in the ninth inning in a must-win situation. Possible matches: Blue Jays, Cubs, Dodgers, Nationals, Rays, Angels Player: LHP Manny Parra 2015 stats: 1-1, 4.41 ERA, 13 strikeouts, 5 walks in 16 1/3 innings Contract status: A free agent at the end of the season, owed the remaining portion of his $3.5 million salary for 2015. Why would the Reds trade him?: Parra is a free agent at the end of the year, and money would be better spent elsewhere other than the bullpen next season. Why would other teams want him?: The 4.41 ERA doesn't look good, but it's better when you realize that most of it came from one performance. He had a 1.65 ERA until his last outing, when he gave up five runs without retiring a batter. He's been death on left- handers, as well, allowing just a .200/.237/.343 slash line against lefties this season. Possible matches: Twins, Rangers, Braves Player: OF Jay Bruce 2015 stats: .251/.341/.465 13 HR, 42 RBI Contract status: Owned the remainder of his $12 million salary for this season, plus $12.5 million in 2016 and $13 million club option in 2017 with a $1 million buyout. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, he can block deals to the Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Marlins, Twins, Yankees, A's, Rays and Blue Jays. Why would the Reds trade him?: While his contract can be seen as a relative bargain, it's still at least $13.5 million for the next two seasons, and that's money the team could use. Why would other teams want him?: That contract also makes him attractive to a buyer. Since his slow start, Bruce is much closer to what he has been in the past and his OPS+ of 120 is the same as it was in 2013, when he finished 10th in MVP voting. Possible matches: Royals, Angels, Pirates, Giants, Blue Jays, Mets Player: OF Marlon Byrd 2015 stats: .241/.293/.453 14 HR, 32 RBI Contract status: The Phillies are paying half of his $8 million 2015 salary, and he has an $8 million vesting option for 2016 if he reaches 550 plate appearances in the final 75 games of the season. He has 262, so it's not out of the question, but he will need to stay healthy and play nearly every day. He has a limited no-trade clause, allowing him to block trades to the Royals, Mariners, Rays and Blue Jays, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. Why would the Reds trade him?: If the Reds are going to go young, Byrd isn't young. At 37, he's not the left fielder of the future, so while he was an optimistic acquisition this past offseason, he may not be one that fits a rebuilding team in 2016. Why would other teams want him?: Byrd still has some thunder in his bat, and he's proven his worth for a late-season push when he joined the Pirates in 2013 and helped them advance to the NLDS. Possible matches: Pirates, Royals, Giants, Mets, Twins Player: C Brayan Pena 2015 stats: .283/.354/.322 0 HR, 11 RBI Contract status: A free agent at the end of the season, owed the remaining portion of his $1.4 million salary for 2015. Why would the Reds trade him?: A free agent at the end of the season, the team has already shown it believes Tucker Barnhart can play at this level and expects Devin Mesoraco back next season. Why would other teams want him?: A switch-hitting catcher who accepts a backup role and is beloved by teammates – not to mention that he's hitting .283 this season. Possible matches: Twins, Rays Reds seek optimism entering season's second half By John Fay / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @Johnfayman Now that the euphoria of the All-Star Game is behind them, the Reds return to the regularly scheduled portion of their season. Let's just say there doesn't appear to be a lot of euphoria in the coming episodes. When we last left the Reds, they had lost two straight to the Miami Marlins by the combined score of 22-5. The final loss before the break featured a cooler-tipping tantrum by ace Johnny Cueto. The game was followed by team meeting. There were rampant rumors at the All-Star Game that manager Bryan Price would be replaced by Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, maybe as soon as Wednesday. Team owner Bob Castellini shot those rumors down to the Enquirer's Paul Daugherty. Price remains the manager, but you've got to think changes are coming as far as players. The question now seems to be just how far the changes will go. Cueto is a free agent after this season. He is the No. 1 trade commodity. Mike Leake, Manny Parra and Brayan Pena are free agents as well after this season. Aroldis Chapman is a free agent after 2016. That is true of Marlon Byrd as well. Jay Bruce is signed for 2016 with an option for 2017. Todd Frazier, the star of the All-Star experience, is controlled two more years as well. Reds general manager Walt Jocketty has said he will not trade Frazier, but you have to think all of the others are on the block. "The thing that makes it tough for the Reds is the Cardinals, Pirates and Cubs are all going to be really good for at least a few years," said former Red turned ESPN analyst Aaron Boone. "The Reds can't just be pretty good and hope to contend." Trading Cueto, Chapman, Leake and Bruce would bring a haul of prospects to infuse some talent into the upper reaches of the farm system, where the Reds are thin - especially on the offensive side. Free agent players tend to have less value these days than they did in the past because, under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the team that trades for them no longer gets draft-pick compensation if they leave as free agents.