The MLB Trade Deadline is a week away, and many teams are at the point where they have settled upon what they plan to do. The sellers’ market looked very thin for weeks, but suddenly more teams have entered the mix. One team that has struggled and looks like an obvious seller is the Cincinnati Reds.
Reds Lose Critical Trade Chip Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline
While they are likely to unload most of their players on expiring contracts, they have several controllable players with value. There has been some speculation that they might trade Hunter Greene, but that remains unlikely. One player that was actually generating some interest on the market was Spencer Steer, a utility guy with solid power numbers. The Seattle Mariners were a team that had reported interest.
Considering Steer won’t be a free agent until after the season and his plus power, he would likely have netted the Reds a big return, but that is pretty much off the table as he will be heading to the injured list. On Sunday, Steer took an awkward swing on a foul ball and later exited the game with wrist pain. Buster Olney of ESPN reported today that Steer will miss significant time because of this injury, taking him off the trade market and spoiling what Cincinnati could have capitalized on.
Spencer Steer, one of the coveted right-handed hitters in this year’s trade market, is going on the injured list today after suffering a hand/wrist injury yesterday, and will miss significant time.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 27, 2026
Reds’ Spencer Steer Injury Increases Value for Other Sellers.
Steer falling out of the trade market increases the value of a handful of other players. One in particular who is more likely to go now is Jo Adell, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels. While he is having a slight down year, he has heated up these last few weeks, crushing five home runs in his last 15 games, along with dominant numbers against left-handed pitching. Against southpaws, Adell is batting .316 with a .596 SLG.
Adell should now become a pretty hot commodity on the trade market now that Adell is down. This wrist injury sounds very serious, and it may sideline him for the rest of the year. For the Reds, trying to retool for next season, this really hurts their deadline plans, and now other teams like the Angels should really take advantage of this opportunity.
Main Photo Credits: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
