CINCINNATI — Trade Deadline winds are blowing stronger with mo starting to happen around Major League Baseball the past couple of days. For the Reds, the time is ripe for catching a breeze to both stay in the postseason hunt and position themselves for dealing before Thursday.
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Friday night’s homestand-opening 7-2 victory over the Rays at Great American Ball Park was the latest in terms of a much-needed win following a 3-3 road trip to New York and Washington. With back-to-back victories, Cincinnati (54-50) is one game out in the National League Wild Card race.
“We’re obviously well aware of the Deadline looming,” said Reds starting pitcher Nick Martinez, who gave up two runs on four hits and two walks to go with five strikeouts over five innings. “The boys want to play. Boys want to win and we want to make a push. We’re certainly playing like it. A good win off a good team.”
Cincinnati is looking for bullpen help to bolster the club in the later innings and a proven power bat for the middle of the order.
If there is a hitter or reliever out there for the Reds, manager Terry Francona won’t publicly lobby for them.
“I like our guys. I think I’ve been pretty open about that,” Francona said. “You’ll never hear me say, ‘We need this,’ or ‘We need that,’ because, I think that it’s directly saying that somebody out there [in the clubhouse] isn’t good enough. I’ll never do that. I know our guys [in the front office] are up there grinding and seeing if things make sense. But my responsibility is to these guys in this room and I’ll keep it that way.”
Trades began percolating on Thursday, but the Yankees’ acquisition of third baseman Ryan McMahon in a deal with the Rockies on Friday could have a trickle-down effect to the Reds. New York was pursuing former Cincinnati third baseman Eugenio Suárez from the Diamondbacks before pivoting to McMahon.
The Reds also have interest in Suárez — who is currently tied for fourth in MLB with 36 homers — but were also viewed as longshots to land him.
“What I care about is us winning,” Francona said. “Those guys upstairs, I know they’re making phone calls like every team does. But for probably every 100 to 200 things you hear about, one happens. I think you’re better off just trying to win.”
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