Ken Rosenthal Doesn't Hold Back on Reds Trade Deadline Strategy

The Reds are red hot at the moment. They've went 13-6 since the Trade Deadline and are coming off of a sweep of the Athletics.

Despite that, the National media continues to crush Cincinnati's front office for its Trade Deadline strategy.

"The Reds play in a division in which there are several small-market teams, notably the Milwaukee Brewers, but also the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, who are in essentially the same financial position and yet are performing much better," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said on Foul Territory.

"And then came the deadline. Now, the Reds didn't have a lot to move, but they had a number of players on expiring contracts and all they did was trade Nathaniel Lowe and Caleb Ferguson. They expect perhaps to give Brady Singer a qualifying offer the way they did with Nick Martinez a few years back, but could have traded him, could have traded Eugenio Suarez perhaps...They just have been stagnant for too long."

Rosenthal's comments speak volumes. A few years ago, Nick Krall famously said the Reds wanted to avoid the peaks and valleys that come with rebuilding. That philosophy was on full display at this year's Trade Deadline. Rather than sell valuable assets and improve the organization's long-term outlook, the Reds once again chose to hover around .500 and hope they can sneak into the playoffs. The question is simple. Is the goal to make the postseason every once in a while, or is it to build a roster capable of legitimately competing for a World Series?

The Castellini family's priorities have also come into question. They have always seemed to care about perception, and that was on display again when Bob Castellini interrupted Terry Francona's post-Trade Deadline press conference to tell the media that they believed in Francona and the team. It was an awkward moment that only fueled more questions about the organization's direction.

Reds Among Best Teams Since All-Star Break

Jun 26, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) looks out over the dugout rail against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Reds have been one of the hottest teams in baseball since the All-Star break. Following their win over the Athletics on Thursday afternoon, the Reds are 13-6 over their last 19 games, giving them the third-best record in Major League Baseball during that stretch. Only the Boston Red Sox at 16-3 and the Atlanta Braves at 14-5 have posted better records since the break.

Despite plenty of criticism surrounding their approach at the Trade Deadline, the Reds continue to find ways to win. Terry Francona's team has played some of its best baseball of the season over the past few weeks and has kept itself firmly in the postseason conversation.

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