Could the Reds Package Tyler Stephenson and Brady Singer in a Trade?

The MLB trade deadline is one day away on Aug. 3, and the Cincinnati Reds have yet to make a deal while other teams around the league have begun making moves. Most recently, several high-profile starting pitchers have been traded, including Detroit Tigers ace and former Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In addition, Seattle Mariners starter and former Red Luis Castillo was traded to the Chicago White Sox.

The two most likely Reds players to be traded are Tyler Stephenson and Brady Singer. Both are on expiring contracts and likely rank Nos. 1 and 2 on the Reds' roster in trade value among players who are set to become free agents after this season.

There have been recent reports that the Reds discussed trading both Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene, with Mark Feinsand continuing to report that he believes there is a 50/50 chance the Reds trade Greene. Others have reported the Reds would have to be blown away to deal either player.

In the case of Singer and Stephenson, however, there is a plausible scenario in which they are traded together in a package to the White Sox. Even after acquiring Castillo, the White Sox have still been linked to additional starting pitching, and they are also reportedly looking to add a catcher.

Chicago's catchers, Edgar Quero and Drew Romo, are both hitting below .200. Trading both Singer and Stephenson in a package deal could increase the Reds' chances of landing an impact prospect.

Twenty-six-year-old right-hander Mason Adams is an MLB-ready arm with a 3.52 ERA across 12 starts this season in the minor leagues. He has a 45-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Adams is currently the No. 8 prospect in the White Sox organization.

If Chicago is feeling desperate, maybe Cincinnati is fortunate enough to land middle infield prospect William Bergolla Jr., who is hitting .444 across 36 at-bats this season. The contact-hitting speedster has a 1.096 OPS in Triple-A. Bergolla is just 21 years old.

Both Stephenson and Singer have done a lot to boost their trade value over the past month. Stephenson has continued to be solid behind the plate while heating up offensively. He hit .339 with six RBIs and a .947 OPS in July. It was Stephenson's best offensive month since April 2021, with a minimum of 10 games played.

Singer posted a 2.37 ERA in 30 1/3 innings in July, his best month since July 2024.