Mock Trade Has Reds Fan Favorite Landing With Phillies

Major League Baseball's trade deadline is just a couple of weeks away and the Reds are said to be open for business.

The big question looming around the Reds is whether they will only trade guys with expiring contracts or will they look to trade players like Spencer Steer, Nick Lodolo, and Hunter Greene?

Steer to the Phillies?

Jul 17, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cincinnati Reds right fielder Spencer Steer (7) fields a throw for the final out of the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Just Baseball's Peter Appel recently put out a mock trade that would send Spencer Steer to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Mock Trade

Phillies Receive: Spencer Steer
Reds Receive: OF Dante Nori, RHP Cody Bowker, OF Raylin Heredia

"The package headed back to Cincinnati is right up the Reds’ alley," Appel wrote. "Dante Nori has some TJ Friedl in his game; a quick, left-handed-hitting outfielder who can handle center field. The Phillies took him in the first round back in 2024, and he’d be a solid get for the Reds."

"Feels like a win-win for both sides. The Reds retool with pitching and outfield help, while the Phillies land a right-handed power bat who can fill in almost anywhere on the field."

Dante Nori

Nori is Philadelphia's No, 6 prospect. He is slashing .245/.306/.361 with 17 extra-base hits and 12 stolen bases this season in Double-A.

"A 5-foot-9 sparkplug of a left-handed hitter, Nori knows his job is to put the ball in play and get on base and he did both of those things in his first full season, drawing walks and limiting strikeouts," MLB Pipeline's scouting report reads. "There have been concerns about his contact-oriented quick swing and a lack of impact, and while he hit the ball hard for the first half of 2025, he didn’t answer those questions, with a .677 OPS and 92 wRC+ through the end of June. But he made adjustments and posted an .802 OPS with 129 wRC+ from July 1 through the end of the season. He’s never going to sell out for power, but he could get to 15 homers annually."

Cody Bowker

Bowker is Philadelphia's No. 15-ranked prospect. The 22-year-old has a 4.88 ERA over 62 1/3 innings between High-A and Low-A this season.

"While Bowker commands his fastball well, his control of his other offerings is not as consistent, though he does get a decent amount of chase out of the zone. He’ll need to refine his secondary stuff to have the chance to start long-term," MLB Pipeline wrote.

Raylin Heredia

Heredia is the Phillies 30th-ranked prospect and is slashing .280/.308/.496 with 45 extra-base hits, including 17 home runs this season in Double-A.

"A strong and athletic right-handed-hitting outfielder, Heredia has shown glimpses of using all five tools, with hard contact from the right side of the plate and the ability to get to his power," MLB Pipeline wrote. "He improved his bat-to-ball skills in 2025 after having worked with Luis Arraez's hitting guy in the offseason prior, but he'll have to watch his swing-and-miss and chase rates if he wants to keep being productive."

Opinion

Cincinnati Reds right fielder Spencer Steer (7) hits a single in the second inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, July 4, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

If this is the best offer for Steer, I'd probably pass on it if I were the Reds. While prospect rankings aren't everything, getting their 6th, 15th, and 30th-ranked prospects doesn't move the needle enough for me to want to trade a guy who can play all over the diamond and offers a ton of flexibility for any lineup.

Steer can easily fit on this roster next season, so there's no reason to force a trade. If you're not blown away by the return, you're probably better off keeping him.

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