CHICAGO – No team in the last eight years, since Major League Baseball devised its current playoff format with two wildcards in each league, made the playoffs after being more than 4 ½ games out of a playoff spot on July 31.
The Cincinnati Reds hope they can close their gap over the next few days, sitting six games out Wednesday, but they’re ready to put up a fight.
General manager Nick Krall, in his first year as the head of baseball operations, added three relievers through two trades in a 14-hour span Wednesday in a clear sign the Reds view themselves as buyers. It’s not an all-in push as none of the three relievers were at the top of the trade market, but it was a vote of confidence in the team’s chances over the last two months of the season.
All three relievers provide a different skillset, bolstering a struggling bullpen. Mychal Givens, acquired from the Colorado Rockies for two minor league pitchers, has been a solid setup man this year. Right-hander Luis Cessa is a middle reliever who fits into a multi-inning role and 10-year veteran Justin Wilson is a lefty.
The Reds will send a player to be named later, likely a low-level minor leaguer, to the New York Yankees in exchange for Cessa and Wilson.
“Our bullpen was better earlier with certain guys,” Krall said. “Tejay (Antone) has been hurt, Lucas (Sims) got hurt. Art Warren got hurt. Art’s a guy we brought in the offseason, we thought he had the chance to be a solid guy and he was. He was really good for us, but injuries have really taken its toll on our bullpen throughout the season.”
The bullpen has been a weakness for most of the season with an MLB-worst 5.36 ERA, entering Wednesday, and the group struggled after the All-Star break.
Why did the Reds wait until a few days ahead of the deadline to make a move?
“It was not for a lack of trying,” said Krall, who noted they claimed Michael Feliz off waivers, signed Brad Brach in early May and signed Heath Hembree at the end of spring training. “We knew we had some issues there, and we’ve been trying to address piece by piece all year long and find the group we can put together that has a chance to make a run.
“We’ve been trying all season to continue to address our needs. With why now, when you put a deadline on it, teams are more likely to start moving players because they know there’s a deadline. We just matched up to this point.”
Reds assistant general manager Sam Grossman began conversations with the Yankees for their trade about six weeks ago. The Reds had targeted Cessa since last offseason and then it became more of a match when the Yankees added Wilson to the deal.
The deal for Givens picked up after the All-Star break. The Reds traded prospects Noah Davis and Case Williams, both right-handed pitchers. Davis was rated as the No. 15 prospect in the Reds' farm system by Baseball America before the start of the season and Williams was ranked No. 37. Williams, who was traded to the Reds from the Rockies last winter, was a fourth-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft.
Givens is a free agent at the end of the season, so it’s bit of a commitment as a buyer to trade two prospects for a two-month rental.
“Being able to lock down games that we need to lock down, we would have been in (a better) position and a lot closer to first place than we are right now,” Krall said. “Obviously, we’re not. How can we address it? (Givens is) a guy we feel can be a really solid upgrade to this team and give us a chance to fight for a playoff spot.”
The Reds still have longshot playoff odds, but that doesn’t deter them as several players are expected to return from injuries in early August.
Michael Lorenzen could be back within a week. Sims and Antone within the next two to four weeks. Nick Senzel could begin a rehab assignment later this week and Mike Moustakas is progressing.
Krall didn’t rule out more moves ahead of Friday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline.
“I wouldn’t say we’re ever done,” he said. “We’re looking to always upgrade this club every chance we can. It’s something where if we can upgrade us in any way, we’re going to be open to it and we’re going to listen.”
Source link
