Hunter Greene, a 6-foot-5 right-hander equipped with a fastball that regularly zips to the plate above 100 mph, is nearing his time in the big leagues.
Greene was one of the five prospects the Reds added to their 40-man roster Friday, which protects them from the Rule 5 Draft. In addition to Greene, the Reds added right-handed pitchers Alexis Diaz, Daniel Duarte, James Marinan and outfielder Allan Cerda.
The 22-year-old Greene, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, was an obvious addition. He’s considered one of the best pitching prospects in the minor leagues and finished last season at Triple-A Louisville. He will compete for a spot in the Reds’ starting rotation next spring.
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After missing the 2019 season because of Tommy John surgery and spending the 2020 season at the alternate site, Greene returned in a big way. Beginning at Double-A Chattanooga this year, Greene had a 1.98 ERA in 41 innings while striking out 60. He was challenged a bit more at Triple-A with a 4.13 ERA in 14 starts, striking out 79 and walking 25 across 65 1/3 innings.
Diaz, 25, had a 3.83 ERA across 35 relief appearances at Double-A. He struck out 70 and walked 20 in 42 1/3 innings, recording two saves. He held opponents to a .194 batting average and surrendered only two homers. He was a 12th-round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft out of Puerto Rico.
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Duarte pitched for Mexico in the Olympics this year. The 24-year-old made four appearances at High-A Dayton, 11 appearances at Double-A and three at Triple-A, accumulating a 4.56 ERA in 23 2/3 innings with 32 strikeouts and 12 walks.
The Reds acquired Marinan, 23, in a 2018 trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers for reliever Dylan Floro. He posted a 4.31 ERA in 15 outings (12 starts) this year between Low-A Daytona and Dayton. Things clicked for him at the end of the season when he allowed two runs and 12 hits in his final 25 innings (0.72 ERA). He totaled 17 strikeouts across 12 scoreless innings at Dayton while flashing a 96-mph fastball with a strong breaking ball.
Marinan has pitched in the Arizona Fall League with a 7.00 ERA in 18 innings.
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Cerda, 21, spent most of the season at Low-A. He had a .242 batting average, .362 on-base percentage, 14 homers, 14 doubles and 42 RBI in 66 games in a pitcher-friendly league. In 21 games at Dayton, he hit .273 with eight doubles, three homers and 13 RBI.
Almost all players who were drafted in 2017 or beforehand are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, along with college draftees from 2018. The Reds had one pitcher taken in the Rule 5 Draft last year, Mac Sceroler, but he was returned to the organization after he had a 14.09 ERA in five relief appearances with the Baltimore Orioles.
MVP VOTING: Nick Castellanos finished 12th in the National League MVP voting from the Baseball Writers Association of America, which was announced Thursday. Castellanos appeared on nine of the 30 ballots, including one fourth-place vote and one sixth-place vote.
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Joey Votto tied for 16th in the MVP voting, appearing on four of the 30 ballots. Votto received a seventh-place vote, a ninth-place vote and two 10th-place votes.
It was the first time Castellanos received an MVP vote in his career and it was the ninth season Votto tallied at least a 10th-place vote on an MVP ballot.
THREE’S COMPANY: The Reds had three players receive votes for National League Rookie of the Year. Jonathan India won with 29 of the 30 first-place votes while Tyler Stephenson received two third-place votes and Vladimir Gutierrez received one third-place vote.
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It’s the first time a team had three players receive at least one third-place vote for Rookie of the Year since the New York Mets in 2014: Jacob deGrom, Travis d’Arnaud and Jeurys Familia.
MINOR LEAGUE HOUSING: In a move that was viewed as overdue, MLB owners agreed to provide housing for most minor-league players, the league announced in a press release Thursday.
Players will receive housing when they play at minor-league affiliates (Triple-A, Double-A, etc.) and extended spring training. The players who are exempt from receiving housing are players on Major League contracts or players making more than $20,000 per month.
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Standard pay for minor-league players typically ranges from $10,000 per year at A-ball to $14,000 per year at Triple-A. They aren’t paid in the offseason or during spring training.
From the press release, owners agreed “bedrooms must contain a single bed per player and there shall be no more than two players per bedroom,” and “accommodations must be furnished, and clubs will be responsible for basic utility bills.”
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