GOODYEAR, Arizona – For baseball players, there isn’t any easy way to prepare for seeing their name appear in trade rumors. Usually, they contact their agents and try to find out as much information as possible.

Cincinnati Reds prospect Taylor Trammell laughed at the timing of his entry into trade rumors this offseason.

Trammell, minor league catcher Tyler Stephenson and their girlfriends were leaving on a cruise for the Bahamas in December when Trammell found out his name was mentioned in a social media trade rumor. His cruise was at the same time as the Winter Meetings, and his boat started departing almost immediately after he saw the rumor.

The funny part? He didn’t have any cellphone service, so he was in the dark after seeing the rumor.

“We were kind of joking around because we had no service or anything, so we were like, ‘How funny would it be if we get off the cruise and we found out we got traded or something?’ ” Trammell said. “That would be pretty funny. At first, it was nerve-wracking, but at the same time, once you calm down and actually look at it and think about it, you take it as a compliment and as people actually want us on their teams.”

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It’s easy to see why teams are interested in Trammell. He’s the No. 33-ranked prospect by Baseball America, ranked No. 2 in the Reds’ farm system. He’s fast, shown flashes of power, excels at reaching base and is considered a good fielder.

At the Winter Meetings, the New York Post reported the New York Yankees initially asked for Trammell in trade talks surrounding Sonny Gray. The Reds parted with second baseman Shed Long and their competitive balance pick in the 2019 MLB Draft (likely No. 37 overall).

The Reds envision Trammell as a big part of their future. He hasn’t reached Double-A, but he was invited to big league camp for the first time this spring.

“I’m kind of just keeping my head down, going with the flow and making sure that I’m going out every day, proving to myself I deserve to be here,” said Trammell, who had a .375 on-base percentage at High-A Daytona last year with 19 doubles and eight homers.

Playing left field and center field during the spring, Trammell knows an area he needs to improve is his arm. Scouts consider it the only pure tool that is below average. Yasiel Puig gave him pointers before the start of camp, but it’s something that Trammell has always worked on.

During the offseason, the 21-year-old Trammell said he did different workouts with his shoulder to keep it loose and flexible to aid his throwing motion. He feels like his throws are "a lot better" than they were last season.

“My dad always taught me, there are things in this world that you’re going to have to deal with,” Trammell said. “Constructive criticism is one of them, so what are you going to do about it? At the end of the day, I’m working my tail off to get better at it. I can’t sit down and sulk, ‘Guys, stop talking about my arm.’ I can’t do that. I’ve got to do something about it.”

Trammell is driven to improve. He wants to be a well-rounded player because it puts him in a better position to reach the Majors. He worked on his arm when he played in the Arizona Fall League in October.

"The one thing I’m learning is everybody has their own thing," Trammell said. "All of it is right because everybody is different. There are things that I do that work for me. There’s things that (outfield coach Jeff) Pickler did when he was playing or Puig does when he’s playing, it’s all different.

"I always want to be solid on every one of my tools so that at the end of the day, I’m helping out these guys pitching. That’s the ultimate goal.”

As soon as Trammell had Wi-Fi on his cruise, he received a text message from his agent that explained the situation. His family told him to remain calm and enjoy his vacation.

The rumors never turned into anything more than rumors. As the Reds hope to open their competitive window, Trammell is still a part of their future.

“It’s honoring simply because (the Reds) want me and see me in their future,” Trammell said. “I was just very happy about that. Every day I get a chance to come out on the field and play the game I love, I’m just excited for it.”