The Cincinnati Reds are currently 39-47, which is "good enough" for fourth place in the National League (NL) Central. Reality is starting to set in for owner Bob Castellini; this team isn't going anywhere.

Thankfully for the Reds, they do have value. They have one of the best pitchers in the game today, Johnny Cueto. Cueto is a workhorse pitcher who always ranks near the top in innings pitched, strikeouts and games played. Last season, Cueto finished second in the Cy Young voting in the NL behind only Clayton Kershaw. He has played his entire seven-year career with the Reds, but many MLB experts believe his time in Cincinnati could very well be ending soon.

According to multiple reports, the Reds could trade Cueto this month before the MLB trade deadline.

But why? Why would the Reds want to trade their best pitcher (and player) away? As previously stated, they are a disappointing 39-47, they play in arguably the toughest division in the league and because of the contract situation. Cueto will make $10 million this year in base salary, but his contract expires at the end of the year. That means that he will become an unrestricted free agent in a few months. You can bet a lot of the high-dollar teams will offer more than $10 million per season to have Cueto on their roster.

The Reds can choose to keep Cueto and not trade him but that's taking a huge risk. If Cueto walks this offseason, the Reds get nothing in return. The Reds rank 25th in runs scored this season. They need a lot of offensive help.

Okay, so who's in play?

According to MLB reports, the Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals are all "actively pursuing" the 29-year-old Dominican ace pitcher. The Royals have been playing terrific this season, and they presently lead the American League (AL) Central with 52 wins, but they no longer have James Shields, who helped them get to the World Series last season. The addition of Cueto to the Royals would be absolutely tremendous.

The Astros are the favorites to land Cueto. They are currently on a six-game losing streak, and they need another reliable starter outside Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh. The Blue Jays are also believed to be in heavy contention to land Cueto considering they rank 23rd in team pitching. The Blue Jays haven't made the playoffs since 1993, when they won the World Series, and they're starting to fall behind in the AL East.

The New York Yankees have fallen to 20th in team ERA, and many believe they will make a run at landing Cueto now that the division rival Blue Jays are in the mix. C.C Sabathia is playing the worst baseball of his career, and Masahiro Tanaka is still having elbow issues. The New York Post previously reported that the Bronx Bombers sent team scouts to look at Cueto this year.

The Reds second best pitcher, Mike Leake, is also believed to be on the trade block. Leake is nowhere near as effective as Cueto on the mound, but he too is in the final year of his contract. The Philadelphia Phillies, who are in the's league worst with 29-62, are taking calls for Cole Hamels. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers have shown interest in Hamels.

Cueto is one of the best pitchers in the game today, and he has represented his country at the World Baseball Classic in the past. It would be interesting to see him go to a better team with more run support. While multiple Latin American pitchers have won the Cy Young award in the AL in recent years, Cueto cold be the first to do so in the NL since fellow countryman Pedro Martínez did so in 1997.

The MLB trade deadline is Friday, July 31.

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