The Reds got trade calls from the reliever Spencer SteerUSA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports. Cincinnati has fallen nine games below .500 after a strong start and is eight games back of the Wild Card picture.
That doesn’t mean Steer will be on the way. He’s under arbitration control for two more seasons than this one, so there’s less urgency for the Reds to dump him than there are upcoming free agents like Brady Singer, Tyler Stephenson or Nathaniel Lowe. The front office should be open to discussions about Steer, though, as he’s more of a solid role player than the type of core piece that teams are taking completely off the market.
Steer’s bat held up in the last few games leading up to the All-Star Break. That followed a terrible June and he has brought his offense back up to league average overall. The Oregon product is hitting .247/.328/.421 with 14 home runs in 358 plate appearances. He’s on his way to a fourth straight 20-homer campaign with an average strikeout and walk profile. His park-adjusted numbers are right around league average for the third straight season.
The right-handed hitting Steer has been more productive against left-handed pitching this season. He slugged southpaws at a .333/.436/.603 clip with more walks than strikeouts in 95 plate appearances. He is hitting .218/.289/.361 in 263 trips to the dish against the righties. Steer hasn’t had that much of a career split, though he’s been surprisingly better (.835 OPS vs. .721) when he’s held the team advantage.
Steer has some flexibility, though in corners. He was a finalist for the Global Glove earlier this season and has excelled there in just over 250 innings this year. The defensive metrics are cool for his career at outside corner. Steer has some experience at second and third base but has never been an everyday player at either position.
The Reds are paying Steer a $4MM salary, about $1.16MM of which will be owed after the Aug. 3 deadline. He could make $6-7MM next season and could earn an eight-figure salary in what will be his final year of arbitration. Rising wages will make him a tender candidate – if not sooner next winter, likely in time for the 2027-28 season.
Nightengale does not directly connect any groups to Steer. The Phillies, Mariners, Guardians, Braves, Marlins and Padres are among the most likely to add a hitter. The Diamondbacks could use Steer in the outfield or plug him into an everyday starting role.
