Reds' latest power signing just gave the Yankees an obvious trade path

It may have taken three months to rev the engine up, but the Cincinnati Reds are officially not resting on their laurels after sneaking into the playoffs last year and bypassing the Mets. On Sunday evening, they regrouped from being denied by Kyle Schwarber in their attempts to sign a $100+ million deal (took them long enough), instead making a one-year commitment with a mutual option to familiar fan favorite Eugenio Suárez.

The deal represented a $15 million step forward for the Reds, who'll now be competing this summer in a crowded-but-not-overwhelming NL Central. It also pushed a potential slugging bat off their depth chart.

Suárez, a third baseman with the Diamondbacks and Mariners in 2025, won't be clinging to the glove any longer; Ke'Bryan Hayes will be Cincinnati's primary third baseman (when healthy) and the new import will be a semi-permanent DH. That means a promising Red — be it Christian Encarnacion-Strand or Spencer Steer — will be better used as a trade chip, with top prospect Sal Stewart also ascending into a more prominent role next season.

If the Yankees are looking for a right-handed Ryan McMahon complement/someone who could rotate in for Ben Rice at first base, they could do worse than CES. They should've been talking to the Reds anyway about Nick Lodolo, who'll be tougher to pry away now than he was when it seemed like Cincinnati was in purgatory. That said ... there's no harm in asking.

Yankees-Reds match up nicely in trade talks after Eugenio Suárez signing

Who says no? Encarnacion-Strand and Lodolo for Jasson Domínguez, Carlos Lagrange, and Bryce Cunningham.

Lodolo, a former seventh overall pick, finally clicked last year, posting 4.9 bWAR and a 1.079 WHIP in 28 starts. The injury bug has been difficult for him to evade. Is he just another Ryan Weathers, or does he have a Garrett Crochet leap in him before he hits free agency in two years? The Yankees will have to make it worth the Reds' while, but they should be having the conversation, especially with Freddy Peralta and MacKenzie Gore off the board.

Meanwhile, Encarnacion-Strand doesn't have much of a history against left-handers, and what he does have isn't positive. He is a ballyhooed former top prospect who unlocked Triple-A in 2023 (.331 with a 1.042 OPS) and hasn't been able to capitalize at the MLB level, though. The Yankees love those types of undervalued assets, back to Aaron Hicks and Didi Gregorius. If they can tie in a high-upside starting pitcher, there's certainly a trade match here. It's all about exactly how much the Reds can be tempted after adding a $15 million variable into their playoff-aspirant lineup.