Reds predicted to trade for All-Star lefty pitcher with 96mph fastball

The Cincinnati Reds might have a chance to bolster their bullpen soon.

They've been looking for additional relief help all season, especially with the surprise decline of Alexis Diaz. And the trade market is just beginning to take shape.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand wrote that the Nationals' Kyle Finnegan is a prime candidate to be traded, and he cited the Reds as one of the possible destinations.

"Late-inning relievers are always in demand this time of year, so Finnegan – who has 18 saves and a 3.12 ERA in 26 appearances – should draw significant interest from a number of contenders," Feinsand wrote. "An All-Star in 2024, Finnegan ranks in the 65th percentile in ground-ball rate (45.6%) and his 96.1 mph average fastball ranks in the 80th percentile."

The other teams Feinsand links to Finnegan are the Blue Jays, Mets and Phillies.

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For the Reds to pursue Finnegan, they'll likely have to heat up just a bit to get more firmly back into the playoff race.

They are above .500, but the NL Central is also very talented and very crowded.

There's no suggestion right now that Cincinnati should tank, but spending future assets on a relief pitcher only makes sense if that's the piece to get over the edge.

So for the next few weeks, the Reds will probably be in assessment mode. And if they find a good enough reason to believe, don't be shocked if they pull the trigger on a deal like this one.

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