Zach Buchanan

zbuchanan@enquirer.com

The Blog Above Replacement is a daily look at the Reds, their minor leagues and whatever else is on the mind of Enquirer Reds beat writers, C. Trent Rosecrans and Zach Buchanan.

Jay Bruce is going to be traded this year. That's pretty much a given because he's in the final guaranteed year of his contract.

The Reds had a trade for Bruce lined up in spring training, but medical concerns about one of the minor-leaguers they were to receive torpedoed the three-team deal with the Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays. So the Reds waited, and with Bruce reviving his value with a .829 OPS and nine homers, that seems like a wise move. His value on the trade market is greater now.

So, what should the Reds do with their other big trade chip, shortstop Zack Cozart? Ship him off at the deadline — or before — or wait until the offseason?

Unlike Bruce, Cozart doesn't have a hefty contract and is arbitration eligible for one more year. The Reds don't have to move him this season or receive nothing in return. He's enjoyed a strong offensive season — although he's cooled off of late — but his biggest value is still on defense.

One NL executive suggested to me that defensive players tend to be traded more often in the offseason than at the deadline, as teams generally look to add a bat when staring down the final few months of the season. That would suggest there'd be greater demand for Cozart in the offseason.

However, the Reds have hurt themselves by waiting too long before. They should have moved Aroldis Chapman at last year's deadline, if not before, and Chapman's legal issues dramatically lowered his value when the organization was finally ready to pull the trigger.

Plus, good value can be had at the deadline. Contenders may be fewer, but they are more desperate. Just look at what the Reds got for Johnny Cueto — Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed, a trio whose value far outpaces the return the Reds received in any deal this past winter.

If it's up to me, I say don't tempt fate. His value is high now, so take advantage.

Minor-league report

Triple-A: Louisville 10, Lehigh Valley 6. LHP Cody Reed gave up five runs — four earned — in the first inning, but held on for five more for the win. Even with that shellacking, his ERA sits at 2.70. 1B Brandon Allen went 2 for 4 with two doubles. [Box]

Double-A: Pensacola 12, Birmingham 5. LHP Amir Garrett gave up three runs and walked four in six innings, but struck out seven and allowed just two hits. He has an ERA of 1.79. 2B Brandon Dixon doubled and hit two home runs. [Box]

High-A: Daytona 8, Dunedin 4. RHP Jake Paulson lasted just 3 2/3 innings, but allowed just one run. 3B Taylor Sparks went 4 for 4 and was a double shy of the cycle. [Box]

Low-A: West Michigan 3, Dayton 2. RHP Jose Lopez gave up all three West Michigan runs over his five innings. LF Shane Mardirosian went 3 for 5 and missed the cycle by a homer, and C Jose Duarte went 2 for 4 with a home run. [Box]

And since you made it this far...

- This is a few days old, but nonetheless incredible. Kim Jong Un's aunt and uncle apparently live in the U.S. nobody knew.

- Some people in Britain stumbled upon the Millennium Falcon. Pretty cool, although incredibly surprising they could just walk up to it.

- Learn about Harambe, the gorilla who was killed to protect the boy who fell into his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo.

- Today in Zach Watches Too Many Movies and TV Shows: I saw X-Men: Apocalypse over the weekend, and it was way better than its terrible rating on Rotten Tomatoes would suggest. If you've invested any time in the characters during the series, you'll enjoy it. Apocalypse himself was a pretty forgetful villain, however. It's a shame to waste as talented an actor as Oscar Isaac under all that makeup and voice distortion. That opening sequence in Egypt, though...awesome.

Reds' winning streak cut short with 5-4 loss to Brewers