This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- The Trade Deadline came and went on Tuesday. The Reds made only one move and it came on Monday. Cincinnati acquired left-handed reliever Sam Moll from the A's and international bonus money for Minor League pitcher Joe Boyle.

General manager Nick Krall was willing to deal prospects but ultimately felt clubs were asking for too much in return as he tried to acquire the starting pitching and bullpen help the Reds needed.

"For the most part, it takes two to make a deal and we just couldn't find a partner," Krall said. "We had players that we didn't want to give up that we felt that needed to be in the organization for the long haul to be a sustainable winning club and we weren't willing to give those players up."

Whether it was Krall, manager David Bell or players in the clubhouse, the first-place Reds made it clear they liked their club -- and their chances to make the playoffs -- without a significant addition.

That doesn't mean there aren't questions looming over the Reds ahead of the final two months of the regular season.

Here are the two biggest questions:

Does the rotation have enough horses to get the Reds into the postseason?

The rotation, which is ranked 28th in ERA in Major League Baseball, was a liability in the first half despite Cincinnati's incredible surge to the top of the division. Before Ben Lively's four-inning, 13-run clunker of a start on Tuesday vs. the Cubs, Reds starters had a 2.92 ERA and 10 quality starts in the previous 17 games.

Andrew Abbott (6-2, 2.35 ERA) has been mostly sensational in his 11 starts and Graham Ashcraft has made a major turnaround in performance. Lively has otherwise been dependable and rookie Brandon Williamson has shown improvement in recent starts. Luke Weaver hasn't pitched well much of the season but his last start -- Saturday vs. the Dodgers -- was stronger despite giving up only two hits (both Max Muncy homers) and losing. The big if for Cincinnati: The club is banking on the returns of injured starters Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo. Both are targeted for activation near the end of August. Greene started a rehab assignment with the Arizona Complex League club on Tuesday.

Will the bullpen run out of gas?

Closer Alexis Díaz, Buck Farmer and Ian Gibaut are tied for the National League lead with 50 appearances. Lefty Alex Young is tied for second with 49. The bullpen is ranked third in the NL in innings.

Adding Moll will help, especially a fellow lefty like Young, take on some of the workload.

Like the rotation, the Reds are looking forward to the return of some injured relievers like Tejay Antone, Casey Legumina and Vladimir Gutierrez. But these are far from sure things. Antone hasn't pitched in big league games since undergoing his second Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2021. Gutierrez had the same procedure in 2022 and Legumina (right shoulder soreness) is a rookie.

Whatever happens, it figures to be a very interesting last two months of the 2023 season.