Good morning, Cincinnati. Ole beautiful. Our favorite team, today, will coast the waters of what’s titled, “MLB Trade Deadline Day.” The waters are rough, especially if you’re Nick Krall operating on such a precise budget because your ownership team pockets millions throughout each year. But less of that, let’s get into what we can genuinely expect today. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter by using the popup form or the form below!
Want to buy this adspace? Reach out to contact@natisports.net
Use Code “NATISPORTS” on SeatGeek for $20 OFF Your Event!
Ownership’s STRICT Budget
You’ve seen me tweet, you’ve seen me write, the budget that Nick Krall has been given is absolutely brutal. The pending revenue holdout in 2027, and even in 2026, where the Reds don’t have a TV deal in place yet, has the ownership in a field of daze – they’re terrified to go over a certain amount of $, and both deals that they’ve made so far prove that.
I was tipped off that that number is at or near $3,500,000 additional, and the way Nick Krall has moved so far, that feels extremely accurate. They had to attach money to the Ke’Bryan Hayes deal for it to even work, and the RHP they got, Zack Littell, is only going to make $1,850,000 with the Reds, per Spotrac.
So What’s Next?
In reality, a whole lot of nothing. And I know so many people get upset when I say this, but genuinely, nothing. If there’s anything that’s going to happen between now & 6pm ET when the deadline hits, it’s going to be a relief pitcher on an expiring contract from a team like the Colorado Rockies.
Mark Sheldon linked the Reds to two different Rockies RP’s yesterday morning, specifically citing RHPs Jake Bird/Seth Halvorsen – both making MLB minimum, fitting the Reds desperate need to ‘stay inside the budget.’ If it’s not these two players, it’ll be someone similar. I know, don’t jump out of your seats with excitement. Maybe hold off on that 2026 season ticket purchase, too.
What Will It Take To Get A Big Bat?
IF, and only IF, because that’s all we have right now, the Reds were to go out and get a big bat, they would have to attach payroll to it. As we all know now, that becomes even more costly, because it means you have to pay even more in prospect capital. This is the ONLY way for us to land a splash today, however, unless ownership decides to fork some more $ up.
Should the Reds give themselves a fighting chance at getting a bat, they’d have to trade someone like Brady Singer, who is making $8,750,000 this year and is owed about $5,000,000 more. That would be the only way to land a bat. IF Nick Martinez could be moved, that’d be the best shot at landing anyone else big, but we all know that his $12,500,000 remaining due is too large of a sum to have that happen.
My friends, unfortunately, Nick Krall is not motivated enough, nor creative enough, to surpass the burden that the ownership has placed on him when it comes to monetary strain. There won’t be anything big coming today, and Krall has alluded to this exact scenario in every media availability he’s had since acquiring Hayes & Littell. What we got…is what we got. Go Reds.
