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MLB Trade Deadline 2017: 5 trades that should have happened

By Joshua Sadlock

BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 23: Zach Britton #53 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during a baseball game against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 23, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Orioles won 9-7. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 23: Zach Britton #53 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during a baseball game against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 23, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Orioles won 9-7. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – JULY 26: Pitcher Raisel Iglesias #26 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in an interleague MLB baseball game against the New York Yankees on July 26, 2017 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Yankees won 9-5. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – JULY 26: Pitcher Raisel Iglesias #26 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in an interleague MLB baseball game against the New York Yankees on July 26, 2017 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Yankees won 9-5. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images) /

4. Raisel Iglesias to the Nationals

It is very hard to get a read on the Cincinnati Reds, a rebuilding team with a 44-63 record. Since hovering around .500 for the first two months of the year, the Reds are just 20-38. Dick Williams and the front office ran into some bad luck with trade chips Zack Cozart and Scott Feldman both hitting the disabled list right before the trade deadline. Both would have returned at least one solid prospect.

The Reds made one trade at the deadline, sending reliever Tony Cingrani to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The return there, Scott Van Slyke and a minor-league catcher, was underwhelming, to say the least. Cingrani was a failed starter and a non-tender candidate this offseason, so the Reds are lucky to get anything.

Say the Reds were a game above .500 or within a small winning streak of getting there — then it makes sense to do nothing at the deadline. Reliever Drew Storen is in on a one-year deal and has rebuilt his value. With the value placed on bullpen arms, why wasn’t Storen on the block?

Raisel Iglesias had the most potential value of any Reds trade chip, and there was scarcely a whisper regarding his availability. Iglesias could have been the long-term answer for the Washington Nationals. The Reds seem to think they are ready to win as soon as next season, but their starting pitching is still abysmal. With Baltimore fussing around with Zach Britton, the Reds had a chance to jump in and dangle Iglesias for a very high return. He is under team control through 2020.

Can the Reds field a winning team before 2020? Most likely. Can the Reds find and develop another power-armed closer before 2020. Also most likely. Now, all that’s left for the Reds to do if they hope to add more prospects for the rebuild is to make a waiver-wire deal in August with Feldman or Cozart if they prove their health.

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