Could Cincinnati Reds Target This Oakland A’s Slugger?

The Cincinnati Reds have won eight of ten and are just a half game out of the NL Wild Card picture. The problem is that they are tied with both the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals, all three NL Central teams holding a .485 winning percentage. The Reds have made a habit of acquiring former Oakland players lately, with Frankie Montas currently in the rotation, Sam Moll in the bullpen, Conner Capel and Nick Martini in the minors and Tony Kemp spending spring training with the club .

Even with the Reds connecting the bat well, there is always room for improvement, and one player who could help them is Brent Rooker. He’s a great, veteran presence in the clubhouse and is coming along as a hitter this season, hitting 13 homers and 40 RBI, giving him a 151 wRC+ (100 is league average) on the year. Only Marcell Ozuna and Shohei Ohtani have better seasons out of the DH spot.

Rooker is a clear upgrade for the Reds offensively, but his addition could also lead to some roster construction issues. In the past six games, five different players have had a change in the DH role, showing that Cincinatti is using the spot more as a half-day rotation for players instead of devoting it to a pitcher. If they land Rooker, that could change.

The other issue here is the impending return of Noelvi Marte, who is currently serving an 80-game suspension after testing positive for Boldenone. The big question for the Reds during training camp was where all their players would end up playing, and we have yet to see their plan in action with Mars on the sidelines. The addition of Rooker may complicate things a bit in terms of ensuring consistent playing time for everyone.

Rooker will begin his arbitration eligibility next season, giving him 3.5 years of team control at this point. His bat plus that team control means he won’t just come for a lottery ticket. As for what the A’s would want in return, it could go in any number of directions. The real question is when do they build for.

If they hope to have a team built and built for postseason damage by the time their proposed Las Vegas ballpark opens in 2028 (or beyond), then they could target younger players. However, if they’re interested in not taking too much of a step back, then maybe they’re looking for more Joe Boyle types to feel confident moving forward with.

The A’s will likely want to maximize their return on Rooker, as he is the best trade piece they will have at the deadline this season. There will be other players such as Alex Wood, Ross Stripling, Paul Blackburn and Seth Brown available over the next few weeks, but Rook is by far the best option available.