Reds fans won't like what 'tea leaves' suggest for MLB trade deadline

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Reds fans won't like what 'tea leaves' suggest for MLB trade deadline image

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) watches from the dugout before a Reds Hall of Fame induction ceremony before the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Detroit Tigers at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Saturday, April 25, 2026. © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Reds are fighting to stay above .500 in a very difficult NL Central division, and they're currently in last place at 31-30 overall, 7.0 games back of the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.

In such a spot, their trade deadline plans are very much unknown. They could be buyers, adding to their offense to improve their odds of making the postseason. But that's not the only thing they could do.

As ESPN's Jeff Passan highlighted, the "tea leaves" are suggesting that the Reds will have a trade deadline that fans would not like to see.

Reds get worrying trade deadline update by what 'tea leaves' suggest

"So while the tea leaves suggest they might be more on the side of offloading -- in addition to the left-handed Burke, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, slugger Eugenio Suarez and free-agent-to-be Caleb Ferguson could draw interest..." Passan writes.

While it's too soon to write the Reds off as a clear seller, this report from Passan does seem to indicate that the Reds are trending towards selling.

This would not be good news for Reds fans at all. With an incredibly talented roster, giving up on this season would be a huge letdown.

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Elly De La Cruz might not have long on the Reds roster, and players like Sal Stewart, Chase Burns, and JJ Bleday are having great seasons, which might not be repeated in the future.

Capitalizing on such a talented team makes sense. But the "tea leaves" suggesting that the Reds are going to sell is not what fans will want to hear.

Ideally, the Reds are buyers and try to make a postseason push this season. But this report from Passan doesn't bode well for such a future coming to pass.