Reds strangely linked to 31-homer Astros All-Star to create infield logjam

The Cincinnati Reds barely made the postseason last year and are looking to do so again in 2026. While they might be buyers at the trade deadline, there's a clear area of the roster they do not need to address.

That roster spot is in the infield, as Elly De La Cruz has shortstop locked down, while Matt McLain is entrenched at second base, Ke'Byran Hayes is the third baseman, and Sal Stewart has broken out as a quality first baseman. Even DH is set with Eugenio Suarez.

That's why, when Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report linked the Reds to Houston Astros infielder, All-Star, and 31-homer slugger Isaac Paredes, it's a strange fit for Cincinnati.

Reds strangely linked to Isaac Paredes

"Either way, he appeared in a bunch of trade rumors over the winter precisely because he doesn't have a clear role in Houston," Rymer writes on Paredes. "... Potential landing spots: Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds."

The Reds being named among these other teams for Paredes doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Paredes is an infielder and would be an ice hitter for the Reds. But, they don't need another infielder.

While the Reds could use Paredes' bat in the lineup, especially over someone like Hayes, this trade would create an infield logjam for the Reds that's not worth spending premium capital on.

More: Red Sox never close on Astros’ Isaac Paredes trade

The two-time All-Star had a .254 batting average and an .809 OPS last year, and hit 31 home runs in 2023 for the Tampa Bay Rays before being traded to the Chicago Cubs.

What makes this trade link such an odd one is that Houston is only entertaining a trade with Parades due to their own infield logjam. Trading him to the Reds to create a new infield logjam would be an odd decision for the Reds to make.

If it were paired with Hayes or another infielder being shipped off, then maybe this trade link would make more sense. But, without such a deal, the Reds being linked to Paredes doesn't make much sense.

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