Reds rumors: 5 players who won’t be on the roster by July 1

3. Luke Maile will have a new home by the end of the month

With so much talent coming through Triple-A as well as returning from the IL, the Reds will need to let go of their three-catcher experiment here soon. The most likely name of the Reds’ three catchers (Tyler Stephenson, Curt Casali, and Luke Maile) to be traded would be Luke Maile.

Tyler Stephenson is the Reds’ backstop of the future. He provides the best bat, the youth, and the highest upside by a landslide. His spot is safe. That leaves the two veterans, Casali and Maile. While Maile has had the better bat, Casali has been crucial to the Reds pitching staff. Their pitching staff has an ERA almost two runs lower with Casali behind the dish compared to Maile. 

The Reds would likely move Luke Maile in a trade before the deadline. Catching depth is a crucial part of the push to October and Maile would be a great second option for many teams around the league. His replacement on the Reds roster wouldn’t be as a catcher.

His roster spot would likely be filled by Joey Votto or Christian Encarnacion-Strand, whenever they return Votto or call Encarnacion-Strand up to the MLB. Maile will likely be moved to make room for the second of these two players, whichever happens second.