The Cincinnati Reds have built a young, steady core over the past few seasons, and while they started well in 2026, the team have now fallen to 49-55 and last place in the National League Central, meaning that many expect them to be sellers ahead of the trade deadline.
With significant pitching assets, the team could get some solid returns if they sell the right pieces, but perhaps the player drawing the most interest is power hitting right-hander Spencer Steer, whose name has gained momentum in trade speculation as of late. Given the teams lack of direction, it makes sense to acquire a top prospect or two if Steer is truly available, but with a week to go until the deadline, the Reds have now made an unfortunate announcement on the talented star.
Spencer Steer Heads to IL Ahead of the Trade Deadline
GettySpencer Steer of the Cincinnati Reds.
With just a week to go until the trade deadline, injuries can be even more devastating to teams, so when Spencer Steer left the Reds latest game with a suspected hand injury, fans in Cincinnati were rightfully worried.
Unfortunately, the worst has now been confirmed for the 28-year-old, with ESPN’s Buster Olney confirming on Monday that he will be headed to the Injured List, but not for a 10-day stint, with the prediction being that he will miss significant time moving forward.
Before the injury, Steer was once again looking fantastic for the Reds, and after home run totals of 23, 20 and 21 over the past three seasons, he had 16 home runs to go along with 40 RBI through his first 98 games this season, putting him on pace to set career high numbers across the board.
Where to for the Reds Now?
While there was no guarantee that the Reds would be moving Steer this season if he was healthy, this injury all but confirms that he will not be traded at the deadline, with the Reds potentially pushing a trade of the 28-year-old to the winter.
Even with Steer this season, the Reds have been terribly disappointing despite having a top three of Hunter Greene, Chase Burns and Andrew Abbott to go along with a lineup that features Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, Eugenio Suarez and Nathaniel Lowe among others, with their hot start to the season quickly flaming out as the season continued. Now, they’re looking to trade some of their more important pieces, and while getting prospects in return will help their future, at some point, the Reds need to turn this potential into success and contention in the wide open NL Central.
Ultimately though, that’s one big right-handed bat now off the board ahead of the trade deadline in seven days time, and for teams looking for help, that means the pool of players to deal for becomes even smaller, with both the Reds and rival teams suffering a blow on Monday with the announcement of Steer’s trip to the IL.
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