CINCINNATI -- The non-waiver Trade Deadline is on Tuesday and the Reds continue to field offers for their players. Talks have picked up, as would be expected with time running out.
"In general, we're steering teams towards the players we would consider [trading]," Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams told MLB.com on Wednesday. "We're not spinning our wheels, and other teams aren't spinning their wheels talking about players we're not interested in moving at this point. We try to steer them towards the ones we're considering."
Other than starting pitcher Matt Harvey, who will be a free agent at season's end, the rest of the roster is under team control beyond 2018. With the team trying to accelerate towards contending as soon as '19, Williams doesn't feel forced to unload players for prospects.
"We feel like we've got flexibility to look for the best deal and not have to take something," Williams said.
As for which players the Reds are steering inquiring clubs away from, Williams declined to disclose.
"It's not been our policy to necessarily make anybody strictly off limits, and definitely not to make that public," he said.
But it certainly hasn't been a secret that the Reds would like to flip Harvey, who was acquired from the Mets for catcher Devin Mesoraco on May 8. The right-hander has since re-established his value with several good performances, including going 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA over five starts from June 21-July 13.
However, Harvey got crushed for eight earned runs -- including a career-high four homers allowed -- over 3 2/3 innings in a 9-2 loss to the Pirates on Sunday.
"I certainly didn't have anybody call and drop out after that," Williams said. "Ideally, he goes out and continues to pitch better and better. But I think the body of work is there that shows that he's been a good, consistent Major League pitcher since we acquired him. And the potential for him to help a team down the stretch is certainly there. I can't speak for other teams as to whether they would let one outing kind of weigh heavily."
Harvey is scheduled to pitch again Saturday vs. the Phillies, which would be his last chance to pitch before the Deadline. Because he was dealt in-season, the Reds would not get Draft pick compensation for making him a qualifying offer when he's a free agent. Does that increase the pressure to make a deal?
"There's more incentive knowing his contractual situation," Williams said. "He's the only one that is in that obvious situation of being a free agent at the end of the year."
Schebler to rehab assignment
Reds right fielder Scott Schebler -- out with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder -- was eligible to be activated from the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday. But instead, Schebler left town to meet Triple-A Louisville for a rehab assignment. He is slated to be the designated hitter on Wednesday night against Buffalo.
Schebler took batting practice with the Reds on Tuesday and felt good. On Wednesday morning, he was making throws at distances that reached 150 feet.
"Everything is fine until I extend, which obviously really important," said Schebler, who received a cortisone shot last week. "It's the next couple of days, going down there, going through my throwing program, I expect that to go away. It's been a steady incline as far as getting better every day, so I expect that."
It wasn't clear how many days Schebler would be with Louisville.
"It's just one of those things where you play by ear kind of a deal," he said. "I only took BP. Once the game speeds up and you get the adrenaline, you don't know how your body will react. It's all based on how it goes tonight. As far as throwing, it went well. There's a little bit of limitation as far as throwing. But I expect that in the next couple of days to be gone."
DL possible for Winker?
The Reds are weighing the options for outfielder Jesse Winker, who is experiencing right shoulder soreness. One of the possibilities is a trip to the DL if it doesn't show improvement.
"I'm concerned about it," Williams said. "We want to dig into it and make sure we have a really good handle for what it is. I could see us taking the conservative approach because his long-term health is really important to us."
Outfield less likely for Herrera
With the Reds down two outfielders without Schebler and Winker, they have been using Phillip Ervin in right field while left fielder Adam Duvall and center fielder Billy Hamilton play their regular spots. With reserve infielder Dilson Herrera not getting a lot of at-bats lately, could he get more playing time in left field? He played there for three innings on July 11 at Cleveland during a blowout loss. Reds interim manger Jim Riggleman didn't think it would be likely.
"I'm not totally confident Herrera is going to be an outfielder for us," Riggleman said.
Herrera had right shoulder surgery last year, but Riggleman wasn't entirely worried about that.
"[There is] not that many times you throw somebody out anyway," Riggleman said. "Our regular outfielders who really do a great job throwing, how many times do you throw somebody out? If I felt like he could run the ball down and make the plays that [Brandon Dixon] or Ervin could make, I'd be more confident putting him out there regardless of the throwing."