With the MLB trade deadline set for August 1, all teams have about one month to decide what they want to do.
Some teams will be in the market looking to improve their roster while others will be looking to sell off players for prospects.
But where things get tough is for the teams that are right on the cusp.
They are unsure if they want to be buyers or sellers which can cause them to do nothing.
One division where every team is still in the running is the NL Central.
The Reds are currently in first place with the St. Louis Cardinals bringing up the rear.
According to Buster Olney, the Reds’ success has made buy/sell decisions easier on the rest of the Central.
The surging Reds are helping to clarify buy/sell decisions for other NL Central teams sooner than later. Current playoff odds, per Fangraphs: Cubs 8.8% Cardinals 5.8% Pirates 2.3% Flaherty (who looked great yesterday), Bellinger, Stroman, Hicks, Gallegos, Bednar market options.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 7, 2023
Olney implies that the Cubs, Cardinals, and Pirates should all be sellers at the deadline.
That is because each has less than a 9% chance to make the playoffs.
No one saw the Central playing out like this.
The Cardinals were expected to run away with this division while being one of the better teams in the NL.
Yet, they have underachieved from the top down in their organization.
The Reds are in first place mainly due to their young players.
Cincinnati has been aggressive to call up their top prospects, all of whom have made a major impact.
Despite being a young team, the Reds are not slowing down this season.
This will be one of the most interesting divisions to watch as we get closer to the trade deadline.
NEXT: Reds Highlight The Current Run They Are On
