The Cincinnati Reds came into the season with some very high hopes for the year. Under the management of legendary skipper Terry Francona, the Reds could be turning the page to a new era of baseball in the Queen City and it's rather exciting to think about. Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain came up from the minor leagues together and have been incredible. McLain looks like one of the best young infielders in the league right now and De La Cruz could be one of the best players in baseball, period.
Pair that with a dominant pitching staff led by Cy Young hopeful Hunter Greene and you have yourselves a dark horse contender in the National League, right?
Well, wrong.
Basically everything I've said has been the complete truth to this point. But there are a few key reasons the Reds won't see success with their current roster configuration.
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Heston Kjerstad could be the solution to the Reds' offensive issues
Cincinnati doesn't have the offensive outfield that it needs to be successful. TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, Will Benson, and company have all struggled recently with Benson not even cracking the big league roster. Spencer Steer is battling a shoulder injury, but is still making starts for the Reds because they lack depth so badly.
The answer to these problems is a blockbuster trade for prospect outfielder Heston Kjerstad of the Baltimore Orioles. It's hard to call Kjerstad a prospect at this point considering he's been in the big leagues, but he hasn't gotten the chance to shine just yet.
Kjerstad seems to be the fourth outfielder in Baltimore which makes him the perfect trade candidate for the Orioles to bring in some pitching. The outfielder has a load of potential and would be very welcomed in Cincinnati at this point. He would likely be an everyday starter for the next few years given the current outlook of the Reds' roster.
A trade could be had for somebody like Carson Spiers or Andrew Abbott. Abbott is the more consistent big leaguer, but he also holds quite a bit more value. Cincinnati could likely trade Abbott to the Orioles for Kjerstad and another top ten prospect if they really wanted the help.
There's also rumors that Baltimore is open to trades for Ryan Mountcastle. This could be an interesting wrinkle in a potential deal revolving around Abbott and Kjerstad.