Nick Krall Weighing Trade Deadline Decisions Amid Reds' Rough Stretch

The Cincinnati Reds have been through a rough patch for most of June, but the last week gave them a real reason to believe again.

After going 3-9 to start their stretch without Elly De La Cruz in the lineup, Cincinnati has rattled off four wins in six games, taking two of three from the Mets at home and then winning a series at Yankee Stadium against one of the best teams in the American League.

But when team president Nick Krall was asked about a timeline for making deadline decisions, his answer didn't exactly match the energy around the clubhouse.

"It's wait and see. Let's see how we play," Krall said. "Hopefully we're gonna get some guys back in the coming weeks and see what we look like. We've gotta win some games though. We've just gotta play a little better and win some games."

It's an answer that Cincinnati fans have heard before.

The Reds are 37-39 on the year, sitting in fifth place in the NL Central and about 2.5 games back of the last NL Wild Card spot heading into Monday's home series against the first-place Brewers.

That position explains the caution, but it doesn't tell the whole story of what this roster is building toward.

There is a strong argument that the Reds should be leaning into this window instead of playing it safe.

The pitching staff alone is built to compete right now.

Chase Burns has been one of the best starters in baseball with a 9-1 record and a 2.00 ERA, and Hunter Greene is on track to return from right elbow surgery sometime in July.

Rhett Lowder is also working through a rehab assignment.

The rotation has had its bumps, including a rough outing from Nick Lodolo that cost Cincinnati a sweep of the Mets, but the overall depth is trending in the right direction.

On the offensive side, rookie Sal Stewart has been a force in his first full big league season with 14 home runs and 53 RBI through 76 games.

He made franchise history this past Saturday when he posted his second six-RBI game of the year against the Yankees, becoming the first Reds rookie to do that twice in a single season.

The biggest boost might be right around the corner, though.

De La Cruz was hitting .280 with 12 homers before a strained right hamstring put him on the shelf, and he started a minor league rehab assignment last week.

Getting him back could change the entire feel of this lineup almost overnight.

Krall is right that the Reds need to stack wins before the front office can fully commit.

But waiting too long to act can be just as costly as moving too early.

Cincinnati has the pitching, the young core, and a realistic path back into the playoff picture.

Whether the front office moves before August is the biggest question hanging over this team right now.