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With completion of last night’s blockbuster trade with the Indians and Padres, the Cincinnati Reds front office answered any lingering questions about what direction they were taking the ball club. The Reds sent minor leaguer Taylor Trammell (OF) to San Diego, and Yasiel Puig (OF) and minor leaguer Scott Moss (SP) to Cleveland. In return, they acquired Trevor Bauer (SP) from Cleveland.
In the end, Dick Williams and Nick Krall did exactly what they had said for weeks they would do. They made moves to improve the Reds this year and next year. They are likely not finished.
Prior to last night, it was fair to wonder. Would the Reds front office be the crew, with the culture of risk aversion and inflexibility set by ownership, that couldn’t trade Matt Harvey or Billy Hamilton at last year’s deadline? Would they again be muttering about not wanting to break up positive momentum?
Or would the Reds be the aggressive team that traded minor league players for Sonny Gray, Tanner Roark, Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood and Kyle Farmer?
Whatever you think of the merits of the trade — and we’ll analyze all aspects of it in coming days — there is no longer doubt the Reds are focused on acquiring players for short-term success, even at the possible expense of the long run. For now, fans don’t have to worry about Reds slinking back into another rebuild.
Contrary to what some wrote this spring, the Reds were not “all-in” for 2019. They were “in” and it just looked like “all-in” to success-starved Reds followers. Yes, they raised payroll more than $25 million. They traded second- and third- tier prospects for rental players. They signed Sonny Gray to a three-year extension. But now they’ve gone farther and turned one of those rentals, plus a first-tier prospect into Trevor Bauer for the rest of 2019 and 2020.
We don’t know what other specific moves the team may make before today’s 4 p.m. deadline.
But Reds fans can be sure there is clarity of purpose for doing what it takes to win this year and next.
Steve (and RCP mates), it occurs to me that if Bauer is true to his promise that he will only sign one year deals once into Free Agency, the QO may surpress his one year value for another team that would have to lose a draft pick, so the Reds may have an advantage in trying to sign him for (only) 2021. Does this make sense, or am I under-estimating teams’ willingness to give up the draft pick?
That sounds right to me. Hadn’t thought of that.