Reds could win the MLB Winter Meetings with this blockbuster trade

It appears that the Tampa Bay Rays will trade Tyler Glasnow at some point this offseason, possibly as soon as this week’s MLB Winter Meetings.

However, a new name has emerged in the trade this week. Randy Arozarena may also be available in a trade this winter, according to reports.

If that’s the case, the Reds could kill two birds with one stone by completing a blockbuster trade with the Rays that included both Glasnow and Arozarena.

Since the start of the offseason, almost every Reds fan has suggested that the team’s top two priorities should be to add a starter and a right-handed hitting power-hitter who can play the outfield. Check, and check again!

If Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall returned from the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville with both Tyler Glasnow and Randy Arozarena, he might get his own statue outside Great American Ball Park.

Last season, Glasnow appeared in 21 games and had a 3.53 ERA with 162 strikeouts in 120 innings of work. Arozarena had a.254/.364/.425 batting line with 23 home runs and 82 RBI.

Glasnow is under contract through next season, while Arozarena is in his first year of arbitration. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Tampa Bay Rays outfielder will earn $9 million next season.

It would now take a long time to land both Tyler Glasnow and Randy Arozarena. The Cincinnati Reds, on the other hand, are in a position to win right now and have the prospect capital to make a deal happen.

This would also be the ultimate retaliation against the St. Louis Cardinals for missing out on Sonny Gray.

Yes, this may be a bit far-fetched, and it’s way outside the scope of how the Reds typically handle their business. But if Cincinnati were able to pull off this trade without sacrificing anyone from the major league roster, the Reds would be the favorites to win the NL Central in 2024.