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There’s been talk of the Cincinnati Reds trading Johnny Cueto, but a trade would be premature.
Trading Cueto would relieve the Reds of a true ace in the rotation, and when you take away Mike Leake, who could be on his way out too, the team could put out rotation similar to the one below:
Homer Bailey: 168 GP/168 GS / 58-51 / 4.19 ERA
Anthony DeSclafani: 24 GP/ 16 GS / 6-6 / 4.50 ERA
Rasiel Iglesias: 6 GP/ 4 GS/ 1-1 / 5.11 ERA
Michael Lorenzen: 7 GP/ 5 GS / 1-1 / 3.06 ERA
Jon Moscot: 1 GP / 1 GS/ 0-1 / 7.20 ERA
The Reds going forward with this “youth movement” is a good idea, but any team needs an anchor — that dependable player to help stabilize the rest of the lineup or rotation. Cueto is the rotation’s single consistent pitcher. A rotation where Bailey is the no. 1 starter is not one I’d like to see as he is an average pitcher who has somehow put together two no-hitters.
The other reason why the Reds should not deal Cueto just yet is because of where they stand with their other pitching prospects. Their top pitching prospect, Robert Stephenson, has struggled with his control for a good part of his time down in AA. While he has improved his game recently he currently owns a 3-4 record with a 3.81 ERA. As for the other prospects, they have failed to show that “wow” factor or any signs of being an above-average pitcher.
Giving up your best starter in the entire organization (by far) in exchange for prospects is a very gutsy move if you wish to continue to be a relatively competitive team. Replacing Cueto’s consistent production will be harder than finding a reliever who can come in and collect saves.
In the end, whether he stays or is traded is up to the front office, not me, but if the Reds wish to avoid a huge letdown, they should find a way to keep Cueto for another year or two before moving him.
Chad Troyan is a baseball writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChadTroyan15, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
