Here's Why the Cincinnati Reds Should Trade for Brent Rooker

This would be a major upgrade for Cincinnati.

Jun 9, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker (25) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Trade season is on the horizon and the Cincinnati Reds are on the cusp of the playoffs. They need to be buyers. They should trade for Oakland Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker.

Rooker has had a good year for the A’s. He’s slashing .256/.333/.496 in 65 games played. The right-hander has had slightly reversed splits this year, where he hits right-handed pitchers better than left-handers, but his career has been the opposite. 

Rooker would be the right-handed power bat that the Reds have needed to add in the outfield.

There are a couple of reasons that he may be available. First, the A’s are horrible and are about to move to a smaller stadium with lower revenue-earning potential. Rooker is under team control until 2028, but he is arbitration-eligible and will be more expensive for them next year than he is this year.

Beyond that, he has one stat that is phenomenal: his ground ball rate. He is hitting the ball on the ground only 28.7% of the time. There are only three other qualified hitters in MLB that have a lower ground ball rate, and one of those players is Mookie Betts. A guy that hits the ball in the air as much as Rooker does could FEAST at Great American Ballpark.

He is also 29 years old. While that isn’t “old” in baseball terms, you have to wonder if the A’s see him as part of their core. He hit 30 homers and was an All Star last year, so it’s not as if his good performance this year is a surprise. This is the perfect situation for the Reds to trade for.

So what would it cost? Trading for Rooker this year could be compared to the Miami Marlins trading for Jake Burger from the White Sox at last year’s deadline. The Marlins sent left-handed pitching prospect Jake Eder in the deal. He was ranked in the top-five/top-six of the Marlins farm system, at the time of the trade. He is currently the 10th ranked prospect in the White Sox system.

Given that there may be a bidding war for Rooker, it may cost slightly more. So my totally hypothetical trade offer for him would be the Reds sending three prospects. Infielder Cam Collier, outfielder Blake Dunn, and pitcher Lyon Richardson. That may sound like a lot, but the Reds may be competing with multiple other teams to acquire Rooker.

The Reds absolutely need to do this. Think of how the lineup could move with a bonafide every day outfielder added to the mix. You could move Steer to the infield where he’s looked better than left field, defensively. He could even play “his best position” of second base and move Jonathan India’s subpar glove off that spot.

The Reds will be a better team if they trade for Brent Rooker.

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