Kuzul

Yes, you read that right. 

A washing machine.

Sean McCarthy threw a washing machine to set a Guinness World Record at Great American Ball Park after last Friday’s Cincinnati Reds game.

He chucked it 15 feet and nine inches.

Try to envision someone tossing a washing machine over the length of two Yao Mings lying down, because that’s essentially what that was.

Here’s another angle (and thank you to whoever put it in slow motion):

His throw broke the previous record of 13 feet and 6.6 inches reportedly set by Lithuanian Zydrunas Savickas in Italy.

The toss was initially scheduled for July 17, but weather conditions delayed McCarthy’s attempt to July 31.

Not that you can really schedule a time to make history.

[Twitter, h/t Fox Sports]

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The 86th annual All-Star game will take place at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The festivities, though, got started off with a few bangs on Monday night with baseball’s Home Run Derby.  

Todd Frazier seemed all too comfortable in his home park as he did something he’d done 15 times before in 2015: hit a ball into the red-shirted screaming fans beyond the outfield wall.

The only difference? This dinger would win this year’s All-Star Home Run Derby and propel the Reds‘ third baseman into a hometown hero. 

Frazier homered in the waning seconds of the four-minute championship round to tie Pederson. He promptly won it just one pitch into his 30-second bonus round (for hitting two homers greater than 425 feet)-giving him 15 home runs in the final round. 

In a sport famous for not using a clock, it was timed rounds that made the annual competition more a dramatic spectacle than in years past. 

Frazier, who has 25 homers on the season, benefited from an energetic home crowd to capture the Derby crown over Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson and kick off the All-Star festivities in an exciting way.

After the competition, he mentioned how much of an effect the Cincinnati crowd had on his 39-home run performance, via ESPN’s Jayson Stark. 

“Big-time impact. Just hearing the crowd roar, call my name, adrenaline. And those last minutes of each round, [they] really picked me up and [helped] drive the ball out of the park a lot more.”

The new format proved vital to the 29-year-old, who credited the pressure and clock via Steve Gardner of USA TODAY Sports:

“You swing at everything once you’re down, no matter how much time you’ve got,” Frazier said. “When you get the opportunity, you just have to hit it out no matter where the ball’s pitched. I felt like a little kid out there in the backyard swinging at everything.”

Check out Frazier’s walk-off blast: 

He became just the second player ever to win a Home Run Derby in his home stadium, via ESPN Stats & Information. 

Frazier takes his Derby win into Tuesday’s All-Star Game where he starts at third base and bats second for the National League. Its his second appearance in the Midsummer Classic and first as a starter.

Rain Delay?

Unfortunately, the weather forecast does not look too promising for Tuesday night. Here’s the latest from the National Weather Service:  

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

There was concern that rain would affect Monday’s Derby, but the sky stayed clear and no postponement or delay (besides modified timing rules to quicken the pace) was necessary. 

Tonight, though, may be a different story. 

Ultimately, it’ll come down to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s decision. 

Arms Race

Dodgers’ ace Zack Greinke starts on the mound for the NL with the Houston Astros‘ Dallas Keuchel opposing him for the American League. 

Greinke’s league-leading 1.39 ERA should prove a tough test for AL hitters. The former Cy Young-winner takes a 35.2-inning scoreless streak over his last five starts into the game. 

Greinke was named the NL’s starter after Washington Nationals‘ right-hander Max Scherzer pitched on Sunday. 

Keuchel has been no slouch himself, though, while going relatively unknown. In a league-high 137.1 innings, he has a 2.23 ERA and hasn’t allowed an earned run in seven of his 19 starts on the season. 

Youth Movement

After injury replacements and the Final Vote winners were announced, a record 20 All-Stars are 25 years old or younger, according to ESPN Stats & Info. 

Nats outfielder Bryce Harper, at age 22, is the youngest. He’ll appear in his third All-Star game-just the 10th player to do so before the age of 23. 

Harper will start in the outfield and hit third for the NL-a reward for his MVP-worthy first half which saw him hit .339 with a league-leading 1.168 OPS and already career-highs in home runs (26) and RBI (61). 

Harper along with five other players 25-years-old or younger will start in the Mid-Summer Classic-Pederson and Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo in the NL and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve and Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez in the AL. 

There’s a First Time for Everything

ESPN Stats & Info also pointed out something that’s never occurred before in an All-Star Game. 

That’s right. No Yankees or Red Sox in tonight’s starting lineups. 

Three Yankees were selected to the roster: reliever Dellin Betances, outfielder Brett Gardner and first baseman Mark Teixeira. 

Brock Holt is the lone Boston player to be chosen. 

The biggest Yankee omission might be Alex Rodriguez, who was beat out by fellow designated hitters Nelson Cruz and Prince Fielder in the AL. 

A-Rod, who turns 40 later this month, is hitting .278 with 18 home runs and 51 RBI as the three-hole hitter for the first-place Yankees. 

Home Field on the Line

As with every All-Star Game, home-field advantage is granted in the World Series for the winning league. 

Although the NL leads the all-time series 43-40-2, the AL has come out ahead as of late. The league has won the last two Midsummer Classics and 14 of the last 18. 

Coverage of baseball’s 86th All-Star Game at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park begins at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday on FOX. 

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On Monday night, Cincinnati Reds star Todd Frazier mesmerized the hometown fans at Great American Ball Park and the baseball world. Frazier put on a stunning display of clutch slugging to win the revamped 2015 Home Run Derby. What’s even better, he did it with his brother Charlie tossing to him. Fox Sports Ohio captured this image of the Frazier brothers:

Frazier bested Los Angeles Dodgers long-ball prodigy Joc Pederson in the final by the score of 15-14. Here’s a look at Frazier’s round-by-round totals and that of his opponents:

Pushing Past Prince

The first round was a close call for Frazier. Texas Rangers behemoth and two-time champion Prince Fielder put up 13 long balls in a solid performance. Frazier took to the batters box and struggled to find his home run stroke at first.

Just when it was beginning to look as if Frazier would fizzle out in front of the home crowd, he went on a run that saw him tied with Fielder late in the bonus round. With seconds ticking away, Frazier crushed the walk-off home run to inch past the Rangers star into the second round.

Jousting with Josh

Frazier would again need to rally in the second round past Toronto Blue Jays slugger Josh Donaldson. Frazier seemed to be able to rise to the occasion to summon just enough energy from the crowd to knock off his opponents.

Like he had against Fielder and as he would against Pederson in the final round, Frazier inched by Donaldson by one homer, with the final shot coming in the final seconds.

Taming Young Joc

When Pederson‘s round was done, per the ESPN broadcast, he said, at least if Frazier wins, “I made him work for it.” That was certainly the case, as the 23-year-old slugger tied Frazier’s opening round of 14 for the best frame in the contest. At one point, Pederson slugged six straight into the sea of Reds fans to make Frazier’s task look daunting.

Frazier again started slow but caught fire just in time to head into the bonus stage with 14. He didn’t waste time clinching the victory. He clocked his event-winning 15th on his first swing, and the crowd went wild.

Take a look at Frazier’s triumphant moment, per MLB on Twitter:

The New Format is Awesome

In case you aren’t hip to the new HR Derby format and you’re wondering what’s with the head-to-head-matchup talk, Major League Baseball decided to redo the structure of the contest for this year’s event. The 2015 Derby featured tournament-style brackets, timed rounds, 30 seconds of bonus time and a timeout per round for the hitters.

It all worked beautifully. ESPN First Take’s Skip Bayless and ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark were complimentary of the format and Frazier:

There was drama, competition and a sense of urgency. It’s really hard to imagine how it could be done any better. 

What About Next Year?

You know an event was a success when you’re already thinking about next year just hours after the most recent exhibition has wrapped up. 

Pederson looks like a natural for the event, and you have to think he’ll be one of the favorites if he’s healthy and chooses to participate. The All-Star festivities will be held at Petco Park in San Diego, California, in 2016. Perhaps San Diego Padres prospect Yeison Asencio will be with the club and flourishing or current home run leader Justin Upton will take his swings.

After seeing the support Frazier got from the crowd, it would seem every hometown star would want a piece of that energy.

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If there were any doubts that Johnny Cueto is one of the best pitchers in the National League, a deserving All-Star and one heck of a potential trade piece, the Cincinnati Reds right-hander silenced them on Tuesday night.

Squaring off against uber-ace Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals, Cueto twirled nine shutout innings of two-hit, no-run ball, racking up 11 strikeouts with just one walk and earning his first shutout of the season.

It was a statement game—no two ways about it. For the Reds, sure, who moved to 5-0 against the Nationals this season and hung five runs on Scherzer in 4.2 innings.

Really, though, it was all about Cueto, who is one of five NL players vying for a final, fan-decided spot in the Midsummer Classic. Go ahead, cast your vote.

“Watching him play, I hope the fans took notice and vote for him,” said Reds first baseman Joey Votto, who missed the All-Star cut himself, per Cincinnati.com‘s John Fay.

“That was his A-grade stuff,” manager Bryan Price noted, per Jacob B. Lourim of USA Today. “Command with action, all the deceptive hesitations, the quick pitches. A shutdown game by our ace.”

MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince recently threw his support behind another ace up for the final All-Star vote, a fellow by the name of Clayton Kershaw:

If you’re like me and emphasize the “Star” in All-Star, how can you vote for anybody other than Kershaw? The reigning NL Most Valuable Player and three-time Cy Young Award winner is one of the biggest, brightest stars in this sport, and there’s no reason this midseason showcase shouldn’t include him.

He’s got a solid point.

Even with his numbers down from their preternatural peak, Kershaw remains one of the brightest lights in the big league constellation. There would definitely be something missing if he’s left off the roster.

But it’s not as if Cueto is some slouch. He finished second to Kershaw in Cy Young balloting last season, after all, posting a 2.25 ERA and pacing the Senior Circuit with 242 strikeouts and 243.2 innings pitched. Add the fact that Cueto would be pitching in front of his hometown fans at Great American Ball Park, and he’s the guy who deserves that final invite.

Speaking of Cueto throwing in front of the Cincinnati faithful, it’s worth wondering if he’ll be doing that much longer—at least in a Reds uniform.

Even after their win over the Nats, the Reds sit at 38-44, 15 games out in the NL Central with little hoping of climbing back into the race.

With so many clubs hovering around the edge of the playoff picture, the deadline figures to be flush with buyers.

An arm of Cueto‘s caliber should net a strong return, jump-starting a needed franchise overhaul.

Fox Sports’ Jeff Sullivan envisions a trade package that includes Cueto and flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman:

On their own, neither Cueto nor Chapman would be likely to return an elite-level prospect. Teams are just too possessive and protective of those. But, bundled, the Reds could opt to concentrate value. Instead of getting two prospects individually worth $X, they could get one prospect worth $2X. For Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel, the Cubs got Addison Russell, and while the A’s probably wouldn’t do that again, it’s something to remember.

Certainly it would sting for Reds fans to lose their rotation and bullpen anchors in one fell swoop. But that’s the nature of rebuilds: pain today in exchange for gain down the road.

That’s talk for another day. At the moment, the Reds can sit back and appreciate what they’ve got. As he showed again on Tuesday in the nation’s capital, that is a man who can do wicked things with a baseball in his hand—no doubt about it.

All statistics current as of July 7 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

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The Cincinnati Reds‘ season hasn’t quite gone the way the team and fans had hoped, but even despite having a losing record, the 2015 MLB All-Star Game hosts have several players who have made a strong bid to play in the Midsummer Classic.

No Cincinnati position player is in line to start this year’s All-Star Game. However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a deserving candidate, like third baseman Todd Frazier.

Regardless of whether or not the Reds have a starter in the game shouldn’t matter. The team is guaranteed to have at least one player selected to the National League team, but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the hosts get three players on the squad.

Keep reading to find out which Reds players have made the best case to represent Cincinnati at the Midsummer Classic.

*All stats are via MLB.com. On Monday, the Reds tweeted out the latest NL voting update.

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As the season goes on and the injuries pile up for the Cincinnati Reds, the organization needs to start thinking about what it should do for the rest of the season.

The season-ending injuries this team has had to endure already—pitcher Homer Bailey, shortstop Zack Cozart and catcher Devin Mesoraco—are incredible. Unfortunately for the Reds, a banged-up squad has made it tough for the team to stay in contention and could ultimately lead to selling at the trade deadline.

Injuries have already forced the team to call up pitchers Michael Lorenzen, Raisel Iglesias and Jon Moscot. Both Iglesias and Moscot are currently injured, with the latter done for the season with a shoulder injury. Utility player Ivan De Jesus Jr. and shortstop Eugenio Suarez have each been called up because of injuries as well.

Cincinnati will soon have to decide whether to sell or stand pat at the deadline. If it chooses to sell, that opens the door for some young players to get a shot in the majors in the second half of the season. Although the club has already called up some of its promising prospects, there are a couple of young players the Reds need to promote later on this season.

RHP Robert Stephenson

There’s almost no doubt Robert Stephenson will be in the majors at some point this season. The only question is, when?

Stephenson, whom MLB.com lists as the organization’s top prospect, has shown a lot of promise at Double-A this season. He is 4-6 with a 3.73 ERA in 13 starts this season, which includes a complete game. The right-hander has 86 strikeouts in 72.1 innings pitched. More impressively, he has allowed just 48 hits this season.

His monthly earned run average has dropped each month this season, down to 2.42 in June. Overall this season, there have been just two starts—both in his first four starts—in which he has allowed more than three runs. He’s done a better job this year of going deep into games, as he has gone at least seven innings in four of his last five starts.

The only real problem so far, like many young pitchers, has been control. The 22-year-old has walked 40 batters and hit four batters in 2015. Control problems need to be taken care of in the minors, because once he reaches the majors, the strike zone only gets smaller.

Stephenson has an incredible amount of potential and looks like he could be a front-of-the-rotation starter at some point. This year, the Reds just need to decide when he is ready for a taste of the show.

Injuries to Bailey, Iglesias and Moscot have created an opening in Cincinnati’s starting rotation, but the club has decided to not rush Stephenson to the majors. The Reds announced Monday that right-hander Josh Smith will be joining the rotation, giving their top prospect more time to develop in the minors.

Even though he was not promoted this week to fill the rotation, Stephenson may not have to wait too much longer to get the call. Both Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake could be traded before the July 31 trade deadline. Dealing those veterans would create openings in the rotation. Not only that, but rookie Michael Lorenzen will also be on an innings limit this season. That would once again open up a spot in the rotation, just a little bit later than Stephenson would like.

The Reds will have plenty of opportunities to call Stephenson up—after possible trades in July or in September, to name a few. At some point this season, they will call the young pitcher up. It’s just a matter of when he’s deemed ready.

OF Yorman Rodriguez

Unlike Stephenson, Yorman Rodriguez has already gotten his feet wet in the big leagues. The 22-year-old was in Cincinnati for a short stint last year, but it was a stint nonetheless.

Rodriguez was called up in September last season and was given a chance to play nearly every game in the in the final two weeks of the season. The young outfielder went 6-for-27 in 11 games in the majors last September, failing to record an extra-base hit.

Those numbers may not be overwhelming for a high prospect, but considering he went straight from Double-A to the majors, it was a decent showing. This year, he is getting his first taste of Triple-A action. He’s hitting .258 with six home runs, 12 doubles and six triples in 66 games this season.

Rodriguez doesn’t figure to be a player who will hit for a high average or be a true slugger, but he does have the ability to do a little bit of everything on offense. He can get hits, provide some pop and use his decent speed to take an extra base.

Cincinnati fans can’t wait for outfield prospect Jesse Winker to get to the majors—but that’s not happening anytime soon. The 21-year-old is currently getting his first extended look at Double-A pitching and figures to be at least a year away from getting called up. In the meantime, the Reds would be wise to see what they have in Rodriguez.

Right now, the Cincinnati outfield doesn’t have any room for Rodriguez. However, there could be some room by the time the trade deadline rolls around. Marlon Byrd, 37, is a nice trade chip the Reds have. If they can find a team that needs a veteran bat, they’d be crazy not to make a deal and then bring up Rodriguez.

Whether it’s near the end of July or in September, Rodriguez is going to be up in Cincinnati. Once he gets called up, the club needs to give him playing time and see what he can do in the big leagues.

*All stats are via MiLB.com

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Cincinnati Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco will undergo hip surgery on June 29 and will miss the remainder of the 2015 season.

Continue for updates.

Mesoraco to Have Surgery, 4-6 Month Window for Return

Saturday, June 20

MLB.com’s Robert Bondy reported on Twitter that Mesoraco will undergo rehabilitation for four to six months and figures to be ready in time for the 2016 campaign.

Beacuse of the nagging injury, the Reds attempted to deploy Mesoraco in left field earlier this month after he’d reaggravated his hip while doing catching drills.

As recently as Wednesday, it seemed Mesoraco was all but resigned to the option of surgery.

“I wanted to continue to get to the point where this is my only option, this is the only thing I can do. I’m definitely pretty close to that now,” said Mesoraco, per Cincinnati.com’s C. Trent Rosecrans. “We’ve done eight to 10 different things to try to make it feel better, but every time we try something, it continues to get (aggravated) in there.

John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer recently analyzed how Mesoraco’s persistent absence has impacted a club that’s already been bitten by the injury bug:

Mesoraco hit 25 homers and drove in 80 runs a season ago in just 114 games, but he never really got a chance to build on that momentous year. He played in just 23 contests this season and batted .178. The 27-year-old’s WAR slipped from 4.8 in 2014 to -0.2, per ESPN.com.

So now Cincinnati is without its talented backstopper amid a year of pitching struggles. The Reds ranked 19th in baseball in team ERA at 4.01 entering Saturday’s action. At least Mesoraco will have ample time to make a full recovery and hopefully be fit to return to form in 2016.

Unfortunate as Mesoraco’s injury is, Cincinnati will at least get a longer look at the likes of young catcher Tucker Barnhart. He figures to see the field occasionally while veteran Brayan Pena fills in on more of a full-time basis. 

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The current record of the Cincinnati Reds is less indicative of the team’s overall potential and more about the cavalcade of injuries sustained thus far. When writers and fans alike suggest the Reds may not have to “blow it up,” it’s hard not to agree. And anyone who’s followed the Reds on Bleacher Report may recall just how optimistic I was about a healthy Cincinnati team this season.

But akin to last year, the Reds have lost vital contributors and now sit five games beneath .500 and 12.5 back of first in the NL Central. You could say they’re just 5.5 back from the wild card, but only if you mention the seven teams sitting in front of them.

A late-season run is far from impossible, but fact of the matter is, it’s time to plan ahead instead of trying to make something out of, well, very little.

Unless offseason acquisitions like Jason Marquis and Kevin Gregg are to become the norm—staple moves of the cash-strapped—the Reds must make moves to not only restock the farm at the Triple-A level, but give themselves the financial flexibility they need to sculpt a new contender.

With that in mind, the following is a list of five players the Reds should consider moving at the deadline.

1. Johnny Cueto

The obvious and best trading chip the Reds have, scouts have been in attendance during Johnny Cueto‘s last few starts, according to Zack Pearson of Detroit.SunTimes.com.

The idea that the Reds would get very little for their ace is far-fetched. And even though he won’t command what David Price did (Price had a year-and-a-half of control left compared to just half a year), he could still fetch one, maybe two, highly regarded prospects—at least more than a compensatory pick.

2. Aroldis Chapman

There’s no need for an expensive, high-profile closer for a team entering rebuild. Aroldis Chapman’s exhausted the opportunity to start; he is what he is. And he’s not what the Reds need now. Some contender that’s actually entering ninth innings with leads can benefit from his services.

Chapman’s not bringing in what Craig Kimbrel did, because, again, Kimbrel was moved to the San Diego Padres, playing on a contract good for another three years. But Chapman can still command one or two of an organization’s top 10 prospects. Not to mention, the Reds won’t need to worry about paying a closer $8-10 million.

3. Jay Bruce

Jay Bruce has been on a tear. Now slashing .232/.339/.427 with 10 home runs, he’s looking more like the 30-home run, 100-RBI guy they extended years back. That means he’s likely to fetch a good return for the Reds.

Trading Bruce relieves the Reds of over $25 million still left on his contract, which goes until the end of 2017 unless the Reds buy it out for $1 million. Because of that, and because of the caliber of prospect he can bring in (at least a team’s top-10 prospect), he should be moved before the deadline.

4. Brandon Phillips

Easier said than done. With over 10 years in MLB and over five with the same team, Phillips has full 10-and-5 rights, meaning he would have to agree to any suitor the Reds find. But Phillips is a competitor, and it’s hard to imagine him not wanting to go where a team is focused on winning a World Series instead of competing for .500.

Moving Phillips frees the Reds of about $27 million. Like Bruce, he’s signed until the end of 2017, but he’s already 33 years old. And if you’re thinking that’s precisely why he’s not tradable, I’m thinking that .295/.333/.697 with Gold Glove-caliber defense is highly desirable in today’s market.

With the exception of the Boston Red Sox, the entire AL East could benefit from bringing Phillips on, and each would have the cash to do it, too.

5. Todd Frazier 

Todd Frazier’s rapidly becoming the fan favorite and is consequently a lightning rod for trade talk. Even the Cincinnati Enquirer‘s Paul Daugherty is growing attached to the slugging third baseman, recently writing in his morning blog: “Those of youse who want to Blow It Up…can you at least give Todd Frazier five minutes notice, so he can leave the building before it implodes?”

Keeping Frazier is ideal for obvious reasons. He’s a vocal leader, he has moxie, he shows that fire that everyone loves to talk about now and then, and he’s really good at baseball.

But consider this: Will the Reds’ rebuild be finished by 2017?

If not, why would it make sense to keep him instead of moving him while his value may never be higher? At the end of his contract, Frazier will be 32 years old. Considering what he’s doing, at the very least, he’s looking at Jay Bruce money.

Rebuilding properly—like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, etc.—is more about shedding payroll, adding big-time prospects and creating a climate of financial flexibility. Unless you think the Reds will contend next year or in 2017—and without an ace, that’s highly unlikely—why keep him?

Right now, the Reds have two of MLB’s top 100 prospects. Both are in Double-A, and both are performing like guys who will be here soon—maybe in two seasons.

If the Reds were to trade the five aforementioned players, imagine the climate they’ll enter. The future of the rotation already looks bright, and with the right moves and healthy spending power, the Reds can build Cincinnati’s next contender.

But you already saw it last offseason—without the payroll, Walt Jocketty is relegated to bargain-bin diving. If fans want better than journeyman vets on the clearance rack, the Reds must reposition themselves financially by parting ways with pricey talent.

Stats and contracts courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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With the July 31 MLB trade deadline just a month-and-a-half away, some Cincinnati Reds players are starting to find themselves involved in trade rumors.

Some of the rumors might have substance, but others are exactly what they are called—rumors. Fans love to discuss potential deals that their favorite teams may be involved in, but it’s up to the front offices to come up with deals that they feel are fair for their clubs.

Unfortunately for the Reds, injuries are hitting the team hard for the second year in a row. Every team has to deal with injuries, but not many have had to deal with the amount of key injuries that this club has suffered over the past two seasons. As a result of the injuries, the team has again put itself in a big hole.

Now, the front office must decide what to do with valuable trade chips like Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake and Aroldis Chapman. Parting ways with players of that caliber might be tough for a team to do, but it may benefit the organization in the future.

Cincinnati is showing signs of life as of late. The team is playing well, despite a number of injuries to players such as Zack Cozart (knee) and Marlon Byrd (wrist). That makes trade-deadline decisions that much tougher. Eventually, a decision must be made.

Below is a breakdown of some of the current rumors floating around.

RHP Johnny Cueto

With their chances of re-signing Cueto after the season slim, it seems like the Reds will be in position to trade their ace at some point before the deadline.

If Cincinnati does indeed decide to trade the All-Star pitcher, it will have plenty of suitors to choose from.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweeted that members from the San Francisco Giants organization were in attendance for Cueto’s last start against the Chicago Cubs, and Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reported that the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers all had scouts at the game as well.

Cueto, 29, is one of the best pitchers in the game. Obviously, he should be able to get the team a nice return in a trade. However, his value will be limited, given that he is signed only through the rest of the season.

The right-hander is making just $10 million this season. For a pitcher of his caliber, that is an absolute steal. But that salary is going to jump up next season after he signs a monster contract this winter—a contract the Reds will not be able to afford. All of the teams reportedly scouting Cueto have been known to make big deals and would all be able to afford him with no problem.

That makes each of those teams an attractive trade partner to the Reds.

Cincinnati finds itself facing an interesting dilemma: It can trade Cueto for a decent return package, or it can hold on to its ace and get a draft pick when he leaves in free agency. Given the fact that teams won’t be willing to deal away their top prospects for maybe just a half-season’s worth of Cueto, taking the draft pick may not be a bad move for the Reds.

Again, should the Reds decide to deal Cueto, there will be plenty of teams interested. There are just nine teams in all of Major League Baseball that are not within five games of a playoff spot. With Cueto’s team-friendly contract, there aren’t many playoff contenders that wouldn’t be interested in his services.

The only problem is that the longer the Reds wait to make a trade, the less they will get for him. Knowing that and the possibility that he could get hurt, the team needs to be actively looking to deal the pitcher right now.

RHP Mike Leake

Cueto and Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels are going to be the most coveted starting pitchers on the market, but Leake isn’t going to be far behind.

The 27-year-old Leake has proved himself to be a consistent and reliable pitcher since debuting in 2010. The right-hander gives his team quality innings, and he doesn’t get hurt. Those are both things that teams want to see in a pitcher.

Rosenthal noted that Giants scouts were on hand to see Leake’s latest outing, and George A. King III of the New York Post reported that the Yankees had a scout in attendance as well.

The athletic pitcher may be better suited for the National League, given his stuff and ability to swing the bat (.227 career batting average). However, he wouldn’t have a problem pitching in the American League, as his 3.83 career interleague ERA (in 18 starts) shows.

Leake’s 2015 salary is comparable to Cueto’s at $9.775 million. That shows how much of a bargain Cueto is, but it also means that no contending team would have much of a problem taking on Leake’s contract for the remainder of the season. For a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher a team can rely on, Leake’s contract is reasonable.

Like Cueto, Leake is in the final year of his contract. That will limit his trade value as well.

Should the Reds decide to hold on to Leake and see what happens after the season, things could get interesting. Leake would be more affordable than Cueto, although CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported that the club never approached the former first-round draft pick about an extension last offseason. That could mean that the team doesn’t view Leake as a part of its future.

There’s no doubt that the Reds have plenty of young arms that they see as the future. Anthony DeSclafani, Raisel Iglesias, Michael Lorenzen and Robert Stephenson are all promising young pitchers who are much cheaper than Cueto and Leake. If those young arms continue to impress in the coming weeks, it could convince the front office to deal both of its veteran pitchers with expiring contracts.

All stats are via MLB.com.

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Aroldis Chapman may be one of the best closers in baseball, but his value isn’t all that high if he’s not playing for a winning team. With the 27-year-old set to be a free agent after 2016, the Cincinnati Reds may soon be faced with a major dilemma regarding his future with the franchise.

Continue for updates.

Chapman Reportedly a Target for Washington Nationals

Friday, June 12

Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi reported the Washington Nationals are exploring a potential trade for Chapman, adding that any deal between the two teams is still in the very early stages:

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty talked in December about how he’d keep an open mind with any offers for Chapman, per C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

James Wagner of the Washington Post noted the Nats have had an interest in Chapman for quite some time now:

The idea of dealing Chapman might at first sound crazy. In his six years in MLB, the Cuban left-hander has a career 2.31 earned run average in 280 innings. Most astoundingly, he has struck out 475 batters, which equals a whopping 15.3 batters per nine innings, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Plus, he’s under team control for one more season.

However, closer is one of the most interchangeable positions on the field. Sure, whomever the Reds would get to replace Chapman would be a downgrade, but trading him now would also mean acquiring young prospects to help with a rebuild, which might be necessary for the Reds, especially if they lose Johnny Cueto this coming offseason.

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