Mock Trade Has Reds Making Risky Move to Address Key Weakness

Nick Krall and the Reds' front office have openly said they're still looking for ways to improve the offense ahead of the 2026 season.

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller proposed a trade idea that would hurt Cincinnati's pitching depth but would instantly improve their offense.

Reds Receive: OF Byron Buxton
Twins Receive: RHP Rhett Lowder and RHP Chase Petty

"Giving up five years of Lowder and six years of Petty for an oft-injured outfielder would be a major risk for a Reds team that can't well afford to just buy its way out of decisions gone wrong," Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller wrote. "But Buxton would have been Cincinnati's most valuable position player by a country mile last season and could be the missing link that finally gets the Reds a postseason series win for the first time since 1995.

Buxton is making about $15 million over the next two seasons, which feels like a salary the Reds would be willing to pay. In 2025, he played 126 games, the second-most of his career and the most since 2017, when he played 140. When healthy, Buxton is one of the best players in the league. He slashed .264/.327/.551 with 63 extra-base hits and 24 stolen bases last season.

Lowder would be hard to give up, and it would certainly be a risk to get rid of their 2024 first-round draft pick, but Buxton is the type of player who can raise a team's ceiling significantly when healthy. The key is health.

While I think this would be a trade the Reds should be willing to make, they've said all offseason long that they are unlikely to trade any of their pitching depth.

You can see Bleacher Report's full article here.

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