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Cincinnati Reds Should Trade Johnny Cueto To New York Yankees

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Reds Cant Afford To Lose Cueto

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As the Cincinnati Reds continue to lose, the idea of trading ace Johnny Cueto becomes more of a reality. The Reds ace has had his name connected to numerous teams over the weeks, but no rumors has had as much substance than the ones linking him to the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers. Both teams had scouts in Chicago to watch Cueto’s last outing, as noted by Jon Morosi.

If the Reds are looking to rebuild and address multiple needs, the Yankees would be the better trade partner. The Reds need position players, and the Yankees have plenty of prospects in that mold. In fact, two of their top five prospects fit two key needs of the Reds – shortstop and outfielder.

Two prospects Cincinnati would likely target are outfielder Aaron Judge and shortstop Jorge Mateo. Judge, the Yankees’ second-ranked prospect, is currently playing in Double-A and is hitting .283 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs. He also owns an on-base percentage of .350. Judge is 23 and 6-foot-7, and could potentially serve as a replacement for Jay Bruce.

Mateo is the Yankees’ third-ranked prospect and is currently in Single-A. At 19, he is hitting .261 with an on-base percentage of .316. His strength can be found in his speed. In 56 games this season, he has stolen 41 bases already. A potential lineup with two players of 30-plus stolen bases could be deadly.

The catch now is how the Reds would acquire either or both of them. It will take more than Cueto alone. A possible package of Cueto, Bruce and a low-ranked prospect may persuade the Yankees into accepting the deal. While proposing a deal like this may sound stupid on the Reds end, it actually solves multiple goals.

The trade would shed money off the books and address the team’s need of an outfielder and shortstop. The Reds’ season is about over and if they want to have a brighter future, they should call up the Yankees and get discussions going now.

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.

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