Reds Slugger Quietly Emerging as Potential Trade Chip at Deadline

The Reds could be sellers at the trade deadline, but it's unclear who could be moved.

Jul 19, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) and center fielder JJ Bleday (22) celebrate defeating the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Reds will likely be sellers at the trade deadline this year, which could come as a shock considering they made the postseason last year and came into this season with a better roster.

But they haven't put the pieces together and, as a result, they sit at the bottom of the National League Central.

The Reds will likely look to cut ties with any expiring contracts if they can land a solid return of prospects. Brady Singer, Eugenio Suárez, and Tyler Stephenson all make sense as trade chips. But there's also a chance the Reds cut ties with controllable players if the price is right.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently listed JJ Bleday as one of the top trade chips in MLB who's under team control beyond this season. Bleday has two years of arbitration left on his contract beyond this year.

Reds Could Trade JJ Bleday Despite His Team Control

Jul 11, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder JJ Bleday (22) reacts after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"The Reds signed Bleday to a one-year, $1.4 million deal during the offseason after he was non-tendered by the Athletics, and after starting the season at Triple-A, he joined the roster at the end of April and promptly won NL Player of the Month in May," Reuter wrote. "He is best used as a platoon player against right-handed pitching, and will be the cheapest power bat on the market."

Bleday has been one of the Reds' better players this season, and he's under affordable team control for the next two years. The Reds are incredibly shallow with outfield depth right now, too, which means a trade that sends Bleday to a new team would cripple one of the Reds' biggest weaknesses even more. Keeping Bleday as a piece of the puzzle would make more sense than dumping him off for a prospect.

But if there's a team around the league that's willing to overpay for Bleday because of his production this year and the team control left on his contract, the Reds should listen to offers. If a team is willing to overpay, Bleday shouldn't be untouchable. But he certainly shouldn't be aggressively shopped in an attempt to blow up the roster.

The Reds have some tough decisions to make. What they do with Bleday is going to be one of the toughest decisions of the next two weeks.

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