The Cincinnati Reds are visiting, and the wild trade speculation begins

Baseball's third biggest tomato can - ahead of only Washington and Oakland - visits Yankee Stadium tonight, a parade of Cincinnati Reds auditioning for a meaningful 2022 second-half. 

Lately, parlor game gossip has concentrated on Yankee trades for either Brian Reynolds or Andrew Benintendi, or any OF who can hit his weight - which, alas, Joey Gallo hasn't done. At this point, no 500-foot HR can save Crazy Eyes' time in NYC. The magic simply didn't work. As the TV jingle used to go, Gallo makes outs with loving care... 

So, for the approaching trade deadline, let's start with Gallo. Basically, we will probably deal him for whatever we can get. The Reds don't want him. No Tankathon-contending team does. We'll need to find a team still chasing the wild card, with a pressing OF need and a willingness to take the blue pill. In exchange, we'd probably get a prospect or two. Last year, to get Gallo, we traded four. It's absurd to speculate on who the prospects might be, or where Gallo would land. But for Cashman to remake the team, Crazy Eyes must go.

Once that happens, we have three basic outfield options: 

1. Promote either Estevan Florial, Tim Locastro or Miguel Andujar from Scranton. Florial, 24, seems to have finally bloomed. We've seen what Locastro can do as a pinch runner. And Miggy - dear Miggy - is long overdue.

Alas, who does not sense the Yankees' indifference to this threesome? Somewhere, somebody within the scouting machinery seems to have decided they cannot do the job. Sad. But if the guy hasn't asked asked you out on a date by now, he's just not interested.

2. Sign a veteran OF off the scrap heap. Don't snicker: Boston seems to have struck gold with Brigadoon Refsnyder, and earlier, we signed IF/DH Matt Carpenter, a godsend. There are always lug nuts out there- Cameron Maybin types - waiting to be scooped up, and Brian Cashman's greatest successes have come from combing the recycling bins. As proof: Nestor Cortez and Jose Trevino! There is talent out there, waiting for a chance.

3. Trade a bundle of prospects for Andrew Benintendi or Brian Reynolds. In both cases, the sellers will probably want SS Anthony Volpe, our current, bestest hope. 

It's been 10 years since the Yankees traded their No. 1 prospect - Jesus "Ice Cream" Montero for Michael "Pine Tar" Pineda. That day, the ground shook. Yet neither player ever made a difference for either team. As trades go, it became forgettable. 

I try to avoid exotic trade speculation. The devil's always in the deets, and any doofus who sits at home with his APBA cards, outlining trades - that's sorta scary. Do Red Flag laws cover that? Still, if the Yankees decide to trade Volpe, seems to me, it needs to bring the absolute missing ingredient for this October.  

That means pitching, pitching, pitching. 

Which brings us to Luis Castillo. He is 29, the Reds' best pitcher. He has given up 2 earned runs in his last 20 innings - in his last two starts, pitching into the seventh. He has another year on his contract, so he's not a rental.

He will face the Yankees Thursday night, against all star Nestor Cortez, who - unless he regains his April/May stuff, could conceivably lose a rotation slot to Castillo. 

Other contending teams will be watching. If Castillo looks like a Yankee-killer, his price tag will soar.  

A full-scale audition in the Bronx, with perhaps October on the line. Interesting, eh?