Cincinnati Ships Out Young First Baseman Encarnacion-Strand to Baltimore for Cash
The Cincinnati Reds quietly made a move Monday that signals they're ready to move on from one of their promising prospects. First baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 26, is heading to the Baltimore Orioles in a deal that nets Cincinnati just cash considerations. It's a low-key trade that tells you everything about where both teams stand right now.
A Prospect Who Never Quite Got There
Encarnacion-Strand was supposed to be part of Cincinnati's future. The Reds drafted him in the fourth round back in 2021 when he was coming out of Oklahoma State, and he made his major league debut with Cincinnati in 2023 as part of an impressive group of young Reds prospects that also included Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain. The tools were there. The pedigree was there. But injuries and inconsistency at first base just kept derailing his momentum. Last week, the Reds designated him for assignment after he started the season in the minor leagues. Now he's Baltimore bound, and the Orioles are hoping a change of scenery might unlock something.
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The numbers paint a pretty clear picture. In 2023, his first full season, Encarnacion-Strand finished with 13 home runs and 37 RBIs to go along with 60 hits in 222 at-bats. He even stole the first two bases of his career. But the last two seasons have been rough. He's combined for just eight home runs over that stretch. Last season was especially brutal, limited to just 36 games as the Reds made the National League playoffs without much help from him.
Baltimore gets to take a flyer on a young bat with Pete Alonso already locked in at first base. Maybe the power returns. Maybe Encarnacion-Strand puts together the season Cincinnati was hoping for when they drafted him. Or maybe this is just another reminder that baseball prospects don't always become what you think they will.
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