Reds general manager Walt Jocketty described the final hours before the Deadline as "very busy right to the end," but did not find a match. Besides Bruce, who was rumored to be close to being dealt to the Mets, closer Aroldis Chapman was linked in rumors to the D-backs, Astros and Yankees.
"There was interest in both players, but we weren't necessarily looking to move them," Jocketty said. "The guys we were most interested in talking about were the potential free agents. That's what we ended up doing."
Ultimately, none of Friday's reports and rumors about the Reds from mostly national media outlets panned out to actual transactions.