The Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays are both teams that are in a tough spot as the MLB trade deadline approaches. Both teams are struggling to stay in playoff contention, and it seems likely that they will be sellers rather than buyers in the upcoming trade deadline.
The Rays managed to even the series with the Reds with a 4-0 victory on Saturday, thanks to back-to-back homers from Alex Jackson and Yandy Diaz. Zack Littell also had a strong outing, tossing seven scoreless innings. Despite Jackson’s struggles earlier in the season, he has been performing well recently, with a .286 batting average over his last seven games.
Tampa Bay, currently four games back of the final AL wild-card spot, has already made moves to acquire prospects in separate deals involving Randy Arozarena and Zach Eflin. Both players were traded to other teams in the past week, signaling the Rays’ commitment to building for the future.
On the other side, the Cincinnati Reds had their three-game win streak snapped on Saturday and are now five games behind the final National League wild-card spot. Second baseman Jonathan India and All-Star right-hander Hunter Greene are some of the players who could potentially be traded before the deadline.
Greene, who has been impressive this season with a 7-4 record and a 3.14 ERA, will take the mound for the Reds in the final game of the series. He has been dominant in his recent starts, allowing only one run across 20 innings in three starts this month.
The Rays are expected to turn to left-hander Tyler Alexander as a bulk reliever following opener Shawn Armstrong. Alexander, who was recalled from Triple-A Durham, has had success against the Reds in the past, with a 2.00 ERA in three career appearances.
As the trade deadline looms, both teams will be looking to make moves that benefit their future prospects. It remains to be seen which players will be on the move and how these trades will impact the teams moving forward.
