The Cincinnati Reds could be preparing to sell now that the All-Star break is upon us.
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According to CBS Sports, right fielder Jay Bruce is available in a trade while staff ace Johnny Cueto isn't being shopped yet, but could be once the second half begins.
Cincinnati enters the All-Star break with an underwhelming 39-47 mark, placing them in fourth in the National League Central and 15.5 games behind the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals.
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According to the report, the Reds aren't willing to pay down some of Bruce's contract in a potential deal.
Bruce is owed $19.5 million through the end of 2016. The right fielder makes $12 million this year and $12.5 million next year, and has a $13-million option for 2017 with a $1 million buyout.
While Bruce had a sluggish start, he's raised his average up from .160 to .251 and has a .806 OPS.
Teams that are reportedly interested in getting some help in the outfield include the Los Angeles Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals and defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants, while the Toronto Blue Jays may also be interested.
Bruce, 28, owns a .251/.341/.465 slash line with 13 homers and 42 RBI in 84 games thus far this season.
"People look at him and see he's at .245 or wherever he is, but this guy was at .160 in May," Reds manager Bryan Price told the Cincinnati Enquirer about Bruce. "That's a lot of at-bats and a lot of time to make up in as far as getting your average up. For those of us who have been around Jay for a fair bit, you always anticipate that he was going to get through it."
There are some expectations that once Cincinnati fully commits to sell-mode, Cueto could be on the move as well.
Cueto and Mike Leake are both part of trade rumors due to their impending free agency at the end of the season.
Cueto, 29, is 6-6 this season with a 2.73 ERA and 113 strikeouts while Leake, 27, is 6-5 with a 4.08 ERA and has fanned 79 batters on the campaign.
The Reds may be hosting the All-Star Game on Tuesday at Great American Ball Park, but once the festivities are over, they could be headed toward a major roster shakeup.
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