The Cincinnati Reds have found themselves in an unusual situation this season. Cincinnati has a lot of talent, led by a win-now manager. This offseason, the Reds also added players like Brady Singer, Austin Hays, Gavin Lux, and Jose Trevino, all of whom appear to be obvious “win now” moves. However, the Reds have several glaring holes on their roster that appear to be holding the team back significantly.
Despite these obvious flaws, the Reds are off to a good start in the 2025 season, and they currently play in one of baseball’s worst divisions. The Chicago Cubs are extremely talented, but there isn’t much else to cheer about in the NL Central.
Because of their early-season success and ability to compete in their division, the Reds could be overly aggressive in some of their moves leading up to the trade deadline, including potentially cutting ties with a former All-Star who has struggled greatly in recent weeks.
The Reds need to cut ties with Alexis Diaz for the betterment of the team
The player I’m referring to is former closer Alexis Diaz.
The Reds appear to have already taken the first step toward ending Diaz’s time in Cincinnati; following a disastrous outing last time out, the Reds optioned Diaz to Triple-A and promoted pitching prospect Luis Mey. Mey had a great first outing for the Reds, pitching a 1-2-3 inning earlier this week.
Diaz was largely uncompetitive during his rehab assignment after suffering an injury to start the season. When he returned to the major leagues, it came as no surprise that he was uncompetitive.
While the Reds chose Mey to replace Diaz, they may also consider elevating top pitching prospect Zach Maxwell. Cincinnati could also look into trade deadline acquisitions if it wants to.
In the past, the Reds would have kept Diaz in the majors rather than demoting him in favor of an unknown prospect.
With Terry Francona at the helm, it appears that the Reds are willing to be more aggressive in making moves that put the best players on the field in Cincinnati.
