Reds Beat Writer Floats Unexpected Name as Potential Trade Piece

The Cincinnati Reds have fallen to 31-33 after starting the season 20-11. With Major League Baseball's Trade Deadline just over a month away, each beat writer picked a trade piece from the team they cover.

Mark Sheldon of MLB.com said Cincinnati's trade piece is Cam Collier, which was a bit of a surprise.

"If the Reds can overcome their recent struggles and stay afloat long enough as contenders to be buyers come late July, tapping into their prospect capital could be the way to address needs in the bullpen and lineup," Sheldon wrote. "One prospect who could be intriguing is Collier, who is at Double-A Chattanooga but is blocked at the big league level by Sal Stewart at first base, while third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes is signed through 2029. In his fifth Minor League season but still only 21 years old, Collier is the Reds'No. 6 prospect and offers a lefty power potential that still hasn't been fully realized."

Trading Collier at His Lowest?

Nov 9, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Reds infielder Cam Collier during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While yes, Collier is a former first-round draft pick and Cincinnati's No. 6th-ranked prospect, it feels like if the Reds were to trade him, they'd be selling low.

Collier is slashing just .223/.298/.395 with 22 extra-base hits this season with Double-A Chattanooga, including seven home runs. He's still just 21 years old, which is very young for Double-A, but he most likely isn't valued very high by other teams at the moment.

"There’s still plenty of offensive potential to be tapped into with Collier, and it’s important to remember that he will spend all of the 2026 season as a 21-year-old at the upper levels of the system," MLB Pipeline wrote before the season. "Especially in 2024, he showed he is capable of getting to his considerable raw power and can drive the ball to all fields. There’s always been some swing-and-miss, and his strikeout rate crept up in '25 (26.3 percent K rate) without much extra-base thump, but the Reds feel the aftereffects of the thumb injury played a large part in dampening his production."

So yes, if the Reds were looking to buy at the trade deadline, Collier would be an option. However, it feels like they'd be selling low, which you typically want to avoid on a player you drafted in the first round of the draft.

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