Latest news with #KeBryanHayes
Reuters
26 minutes ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Brady Singer, Reds look to respond to chaotic loss vs. Braves
August 1 - After an extraordinarily chaotic series opener, the visiting Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds continue their unconventional three-game series early Friday afternoon. In the opener Thursday night, the Braves scored eight runs in the top of the eighth inning, only to have the Reds open the bottom of the eighth with eight straight hits, a streak that included a pair of three-run home runs, to tie the game 11-11. It was the third time in major league history that each team scored at least eight runs in the same inning. The Braves managed to get the game to extra innings, where Marcell Ozuna drove home Matt Olson with a sacrifice fly in the 10th for a 12-11 win. "I've never seen anything like that," Ozuna said. "I was like, 'Oh my God.'" It was the second massive collapse by the Braves' bullpen this season. On June 5, Atlanta blew a 10-4, ninth-inning lead at home and lost 11-10 to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ozzie Albies went 4-for-6 and drove in two runs on Thursday for the Braves, who erased an early 3-0 hole and broke open a 3-3 game with their eight-run eighth, when they sent 13 batters to the plate. It was an up-and-down day for new Reds third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. Hayes committed a key two-run error in the sixth inning that allowed the Braves to tie the game. He then belted a three-run homer in the eighth to ignite Cincinnati's comeback. "It was a little bit of everything in the game today," Hayes said. "I missed that ball. I wished I could have that one back. I feel like we were able to battle back, tie that game back up and were able to get the winning run up at the plate. But yeah, it was a pretty crazy day. I was able to put a good swing on the ball, but ultimately I would like to get the win." Atlanta has won four of the five meetings this season with Cincinnati, clinching the season series for the fourth time in five years. The Friday game is set for the unusual starting time of 12:40 p.m. ET as both teams will leave immediately after for Bristol, Tenn., and the MLB Speedway Classic on Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. The major league attendance record will be set, as more than 85,000 tickets have been sold. The Reds send will Brady Singer (8-8, 4.60 ERA) to the mound on Friday. Against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, the right-hander earned the 2-1 win, allowing just one run on three hits over 7 1/3 innings, his longest outing of the season. He struck out eight and walked one. It marked his sixth start of the season in which he allowed three hits or fewer and his eighth quality start in 21 outings. Singer is 0-3 with a 7.41 ERA in three career starts against the Braves. He lost 4-0 in Atlanta on May 5 when he permitted four runs on seven hits in six innings. The Braves will counter with right-hander Bryce Elder (4-7, 6.29 ERA). He has struggled in his past seven starts, going 2-4 with a 10.50 ERA. On Sunday at Texas, he allowed eight runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings during an 8-1 loss to the Rangers. He fanned three and walked four. Elder will be making his second career start against the Reds. He threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings on April 10, 2023, striking out seven, but did not record a decision. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Twitter unloads on Gold Glove third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes over error in Reds' debut
Gold Glove third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, acquired by the Cincinnati Reds from the Pittsburgh Pirates ahead of the MLB trade deadline for shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura and relief pitcher Taylor Rogers, committed a fielding error on Atlanta Braves outfielder Eli White's grounder to third in the sixth inning of Thursday's series opener at Great American Ball Park, allowing Ozzie Albies and Marcell Ozuna to score and tie the game at 3. Hayes, making his debut for the Reds and widely considered among the best defensive third basemen in MLB, wasn't treated well by many Reds fans on Twitter/X. A few of the tweets about Hayes' error, his fifth of the season and first as a Red: This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Twitter unloads on Gold Glove 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes' error in Reds debut
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
How aggressive will the Pirates get?
The 2025 MLB trade deadline has passed. Follow along for live reaction and analysis after an active week around the league. Getty Images Getty Images When mapping out the Pittsburgh Pirates' options as sellers last week, I considered it highly likely they would go into all-out sell mode with their pitchers, and quite likely they'd use this opportunity to bail on the Ke'Bryan Hayes contract as well. The arms sale still could be the path they choose. But the Buccos' first big move of the deadline was sending Hayes across the division to Cincinnati. Now focus returns to their controllable pitchers: starter Mitch Keller and relievers David Bednar and Dennis Santana. The relief market is hot, and the assumption is that the Pirates will move at least one of their leverage relievers. Despite being a hometown guy, Bednar seems to be a perfect trade candidate, as he's bounced back from a bad 2024 season and early-season 2025 demotion to Triple A to regain his trade value. With Jhoan Duran traded and Emmanuel Clase taken off the board, Bednar could be the best closer available. The Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers would love to have him. Same for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. And on and on. Packaging Bednar and Santana together could get Pirates the multiple top-10 prospects that they, according to rival evaluators, had been seeking for Bednar alone in recent days. The starting pitching market is starting to move, but Keller? He may stay. Ken Rosenthal reported Wednesday night that, barring a seismic change, the Pirates will keep Keller. A rival exec told Rosenthal that the Pirates were so reluctant to seriously engage on Keller that his team didn't even bother. Keller is the fifth-best starter available on The Athletic's trade deadline Big Board (which omitted Dylan Cease, so you could consider Keller sixth). Keller is durable and dependable, a middle-of-the-rotation starter on a nice extension. The Pirates certainly could use him. But what they could use more is a couple big bats. The club's first few trades — moving Adam Frazier, Hayes and Caleb Ferguson — have done nothing to make the 2026 lineup better. Moving Keller would help with that. But if he's staying, they'll be even more likely to move Bednar and Santana. Getty Images The San Diego Padres have yet to make a big move, and their record suggests they're struck somewhere between buying and selling. But the Padres' president of baseball operations is A.J. Preller, which means they surely won't be stuck for long. Preller likes to make moves, and The Athletic has reported that he's in the market for some of the biggest fish available: Athletics closer Mason Miller, Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, and Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. It's possible none of those three will be traded, but if that's the case, it won't be because Preller didn't try. From Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal: ✍️ Considering the top-heavy state of the Padres farm system, Preller might need to part with elite shortstop prospect Leo De Vries or well-regarded catching prospect Ethan Salas to acquire any of the above players. Indications are, the executive is willing to at least discuss them. Preller could try to thread the needle by acquiring controllable talent — like any of the names previously mentioned — while trading away one or two of his own pending free agents, most notably Dylan Cease or (perhaps less likely) Robert Suarez. The year's first major deadline deal was Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor going to the offense-needy Mariners, and at the time, it seemed the Mariners could also end up with the other D-Backs corner infielder. Late last night, it happened. Eugenio Suárez, having survived a recent hit-by-pitch scare, is taking his 36 home runs to Seattle. The Mariners, who have previously gotten very little offense from the infield corners, will have a new look for the last two months. Suarez was the fourth third baseman traded this week. The Yankees were the first to pluck a third baseman off the trade market, and they went for the all-around skillset of Ryan McMahon. The Reds were next to address the hot corner, and they went all glove with Ke'Bryan Hayes. Last night, the Astros — having lost Isaac Paredes to injury, and having kicked the tires on a Carlos Correa reunion — traded for another glove-first option, Ramon Urías. But Suárez was always the biggest fish of them all — at least offensively — and he went to the team most in need of a big bat. The challenge for teams still needing offense is to find another significant bat in this pitching-heavy market. Getty Images Almost exactly 24 hours before Thursday's trade deadline, the Phillies completed a blockbuster for Twins closer Jhoan Duran. It was a seismic deal, the kind of move that a trade deadline is supposed to produce. It set the market for controllable relievers, and perhaps opened the door for other big moves to come. For the Phillies, it was an all-in acquisition to repair an unsustainable weakness. The bullpen has been a recurring problem over the years, and addressing it this offseason with Jordan Romano has been unsuccessful. The Phillies are chasing a championship, and they got the best closer on the market (one who happens to be signed through 2027, just like Zack Wheeler). It was the biggest deadline deal of Dave Dombrowski's tenure. For the Twins, this was an acknowledgement that they need to rebuild. Duran was their biggest trade chip outside of Joe Ryan, and while the Twins weren't able to get top Phillies prospect Andrew Painter, they were able to get a first-round pick in Mick Abel (a pitcher who can slide into their rotation immediately) plus a high-upside bat in teenager Eduardo Tait. But both the Phillies and Twins could have more to do today. The Phillies still need a right-handed bat and help in their outfield. The Twins still have Harrison Bader, Danny Coulombe and Willi Castro as pending free agents they might as well trade. They could also consider trading Ryan for a massive haul, and maybe outfielder Trevor Larnach to a team in need of a lefty bat. Getty Images A week ago, The Athletic posted our final Big Board ranking of the top 50 trade candidates. Two came off the board without being traded — Emmanuel Clase because of a gambling investigation, Seth Lugo because he signed an extension — and eight others have been dealt (Eugenio Suárez, Jhoan Duran, Josh Naylor, Ryan Helsley, Ryan McMahon, Michael Soroka, Zack Littell, Chris Paddack). Five of our Top 10 trade candidates are still available: 1). Joe Ryan, SP, Twins 2). Jarren Duran, OF, Red Sox – Eugenio Suárez, 3B, Diamondbacks – Emmanuel Clase, RP, Guardians 5). Wilyer Abreu, RF, Red Sox – Seth Lugo, SP, Royals – Jhoan Duran, RP, Twins 8). Merrill Kelly, SP, Diamondbacks 9). Sandy Alcantara, SP, Marlins 10). Griffin Jax, RP, Twins After already trading one reliever, the Twins might not want to trade Jax, and it's unclear just how open the Red Sox are to trading either of their left-handed outfielders (though the Padres are known to be in pursuit of Jarren Duran). Some notable others from the Big Board worth your attention: 14). Brandon Lowe, 2B, Rays This market has always been thin on middle infielders, but the Rays seem to have played their way into sellers territory, which could make Lowe available as a source of offensive impact had a hard-to-fill position. There aren't many high-end middle infield alternatives out there. 15). Steven Kwan, LF, Guardians The stunning loss of Clase to administrative leave has changed the calculus for the Guardians who seem at least willing to talk about trading their leadoff hitter. There aren't a ton of bats on the market, and Kwan could be a game changer for some teams with a hole to fill in the outfield. 32). Reid Detmers, RP, Angels An fascinating option for the many teams in need of bullpen help. Detmers largely flopped as a starter, but he's found considerable success since moving into the bullpen this season. But his availability is clouded by the total uncertainty of what exactly the Angels are doing. 40). Luis Robert Jr., CF, White Sox One of the great puzzles of this trade market, Robert's name seems to come up in a lot of reports, but the White Sox are said to be asking for a massive return for a player who has drastically underperformed the past two seasons and would be a rental without picking up a $20-million option for next season. The talent, though, is tantalizing. 44). Trevor Rogers, SP, Orioles In his last start before the deadline, Rogers went seven scoreless innings with one hit allowed. Granted, it was against the Rockies, but still, he continued his strong season and is one of several starters who could lengthen a contender's rotation. The market for starting pitchers was largely untouched until late last night. Could see a lot of movement in that area today. GO FURTHER MLB trade deadline Big Board 3.0: The Top 50 players who could be on the move A few years ago, The Athletic started grading each notable deal at the trade deadline. We sometimes regret those grades — though not as much as executives often regret the actual trades — but it's still worthwhile to document the way we feel about these moves in the moment. We don't always agree, but we try to explain the way we think. You can find all of our grades for this year's deadline deals right here. GO FURTHER MLB trade deadline: All of our 2025 deals and grades in one place Getty Images Reliever Bryan Baker was traded to the Rays on July 10, and infielder Adam Frazier was sent to the Royals on July 16. Dane Dunning to the Braves was a somewhat notable deal on July 18. But for our money, trade deadline season really started on July 24, a week before the deadline, when first baseman Josh Naylor was traded to the Mariners. That's when the bigger names started coming off the board and it really felt like anything could happen at any moment. Here are all the moves that have happened so far. Thursday, July 24 1B Josh Naylor to the Mariners / LHP Brandyn Garcia and RHP Ashton Izzi to the Diamondbacks Friday, July 25 LHP Gregory Soto to the Mets / RHP Wellington Aracena and RHP Cameron Foster to the Orioles 3B Ryan McMahon to the Yankees / LHP Griffin Herring and RHP Josh Grosz to the Rockies Saturday, July 26 INF Tristan Gray to the Rays / Cash to the White Sox OF Randal Grichuk to the Royals / RHP Andrew Hoffmann to the Diamondbacks INF Amed Rosario to the Yankees / RHP Clayton Beeter and OF Brown Martinez to the Nationals Sunday, July 27 RHP Erick Fedde to the Braves / Salary relief to the Cardinals Monday, July 28 RHP Carlos Carrasco to the Braves / Salary relief to the Yankees RHP Chris Paddack and RHP Randy Dobnak to the Tigers / C Enrique Jimenez to the Twins C Danny Jansen to the Brewers / INF Jadher Areinamo to the Rays C Nick Fortes to the Rays / OF Matthew Etzel to the Marlins Tuesday, July 29 RHP Sereanthony Dominguez to the Blue Jays / RHP Juaron Watts-Brown to the Orioles Wednesday, July 30 OF Austin Slater to the Yankees / RHP Gage Ziehl to the White Sox RHP Tyler Kinney to the Braves / RHP Austin Smith to the Rockies LHP Andrew Chafin and RHP Luis García to the Angels / LHP Jake Eder and 1B Sam Brown to the Nationals 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Reds / LHP Taylor Rogers and SS Sammy Stafura to the Pirates RHP Tyler Rogers to the Mets / RHP José Butto, OF Drew Gilbert, RHP Blake Tidwell to the Giants LHP Caleb Ferguson to the Mariners / RHP Jeter Martinez to the Pirates RHP Jhoan Duran to the Phillies / RHP Mick Abel and C Eduardo Tait to the Twins RHP Ryan Helsley to the Mets / SS Jesus Baez, RHP Nate Dohm and RHP Frank Elissalt to the Cardinals RHP Michael Soroka to the Cubs / OF Christian Franklin and INF Ronny Cruz to the Nationals RHP Rafael Montero to the Tigers / INF Jim Jarvis to the Braves RHP Zack Littell to the Reds / C Hunter Feduccia and RHP Brian Van Belle to the Rays / LHP Adam Serwinowski, RHP Paul Gervase and C Ben Rortvedt to the Dodgers 3B Ramon Urías to the Astros / RHP Twine Palmer to the Orioles LHP Steven Matz to the Red Sox / 1B Blaze Jordan to the Cardinals 3B Eugenio Suárez to the Mariners / 1B Tyler Locklear, RHP Hunter Cranton and RHP Juan Burgos to the Diamondbacks Not anymore! Prior to 2019, players who cleared revocable waivers could be traded after the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, and so long as they were acquired before Aug. 31 they'd be eligible for the postseason roster. These days, players can still be waived after the July 31 trade deadline and claimed by a new team, but they are not permitted to be traded. Getty Images I'm very glad you asked. It's an important detail to know today. While the trade deadline used to fall at precisely 4 p.m. on July 31 each year, it's now more of a moving target, somewhere between July 28 and Aug. 3, as the Commissioner's Office determines where it would best fit in the schedule. This year, the trade deadline will occur at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 31. That's today. Or tonight. Depends where you are. Six o'clock is the deadline for paperwork to be filed to the league office, anyway; some trade news will continue to trickle out over the next hour. So stay tuned. Getty Images There will be only one game occurring prior to the 6 p.m. ET trade deadline today — Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees, 1:05 p.m. first pitch in the Bronx — and two others at night. MLB chose this Thursday as the deadline likely because the mostly empty schedule would make life and logistics easier on traded players and on the executives and evaluators hunkered in ballpark offices and suites. Our only chance for one final Hug Watch, then, is the Rays-Yankees matinee. There's some opportunity for movement there, as the Yankees are still determined to add in the final day of trade season, and the Rays — after moving starter Zack Littell late last night — have a few players they still could move, including closer Pete Fairbanks, first baseman Yandy Díaz and infielder Brandon Lowe. Even starter Taj Bradley, now stuck in the minors, could be interesting to a contending team with a hole at the back of the rotation. Getty Images Last night, we finally felt the trade deadline creeping closer. After a few slow days — and another relatively slow afternoon — Wednesday night brought the first true blockbuster of the week: Jhoan Duran to the Phillies. And with that, the floodgates were ready to open. Ryan Helsley joined the overhauled Mets bullpen. Zack Littell joined the suddenly aggressive Reds. And right around midnight, third baseman Eugenio Suárez — maybe the biggest bat on the market — went to the Mariners. Clearly, the frost has lifted. This quiet trade deadline isn't so quiet anymore. The trade deadline is 6 p.m. ET, and there is still a lot of moveable talent on the market and a few uncertain pieces that — in theory — could be moved at the right price (Mason Miller? Jarren Duran? Joe Ryan?). What are the Padres going to do? How many players are the Orioles going to trade? Do the Dodgers have a last-minute surprise up their sleeve? (The Dodgers traded for Jack Flaherty right at the buzzer last year.) This day has been marked on baseball calendars all year. It's finally here. Welcome to the trade deadline. Getty Images The Tampa Bay Rays are considering numerous buy-sell options to upgrade their club, according to sources briefed on their discussions. First baseman Yandy Díaz and second baseman Brandon Lowe, however, remain on the back-burner as trade options. The Rays were working on other moves as of early Thursday morning. Rival clubs also continue to express interest in Rays closer Pete Fairbanks. The Houston Astros are in the mix for Miami Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara, as well as San Diego Padres righty Dylan Cease, according to a source briefed on their discussions. Club officials, however, fear that they might get outbid for both pitchers, given the competitive state of the market. The Astros' interest in Alcantara was first reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The A's won their game against the Mariners 5-4 without Miller notching the save. Paul Gervase is an intriguing part of the Dodgers' haul, per a pair of evaluators. The 6-foot-10 right-hander has elite extension, and could be an interesting part of the relief mix. The Boston Red Sox were in the mix for Eugenio Suárez, with the intention of acquiring him to play first base, sources tell me and The Athletic 's Jen McCaffrey. In a move that will please the fans in the Pacific Northwest, Mariners' president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto is working to bring back slugger Eugenio Suárez from the Diamondbacks, according to the The Athletic 's Ken Rosenthal. Among the bats listed on The Athletic 's Big Board, Suárez had the best rest-of-season projected value by Wins Above Replacement. That production is mostly propped up by power – over the past calendar year, only Shohei Ohtani (60 homers) and Aaron Judge (58) have hit more than the third baseman's 53 homers. There's little reason to doubt that power, though. The underlying batted ball metrics were all best on the Board for Suárez as well. He hasn't been a great defender this year, but has been a positive at third base with the glove by Statcast's Outs Above Average every other year they've tracked that number, and Seattle may have a defensive replacement in Ben Williamson if they choose to keep the youngster on the roster. It's 'good vibes only' time again for the Mariners. The Dodgers effectively swap third catchers in Hunter Feduccia for Ben Rortvedt, and in the process got a left-handed pitching prospect in Adam Serwinoski and an optionable bullpen arm in Paul Gervase. Nice little bit of business. Also, it wouldn't be the trade deadline without Andrew Friedman wriggling his way into a three-team deal. Last year, it was the deal that landed Tommy Edman and Michael Kopech in Los Angeles.
New York Times
8 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Reds takeaways at the MLB trade deadline: The window is open
CINCINNATI — After making trades before and after Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cincinnati Reds made one more deal in the final hour ahead of the trade deadline, adding right-handed hitting Miguel Andújar from the Athletics. The addition of Andújar aligns with the team's approach at the deadline, where they search for small improvements at the margins. Advertisement The 30-year-old Andújar has played both corner outfield spots and corner infield spots for the Athletics this season. More importantly, he's put up a .422/.458/.578 in 48 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers this season, including a pair of home runs. Overall, he's hit .329/.436/.765 with six home runs over 231 plate appearances. While it wasn't the sexiest of trade deadlines for the Reds, the team did make three moves without moving any of their top prospects. So, what did the trade deadline tell us about the Reds? In a deal with the Pirates, the Reds took on the rest of Ke'Bryan Hayes' contract through 2029, which also happens to be the last season before Elly De La Cruz (and Matt McLain and Andrew Abbott) becomes a free agent. That is a sign that the team is looking toward not just the rest of this season, but also the four after it. The two prospects the Reds lost in those deals were both years away from impacting the big-league club, with lefty Adam Serwinowski in High A this season and shortstop Sammy Stafura in Class A. Either one could become a star, or at least a useful player, but neither was going to have a huge impact at the big-league level between now and 2029. On the flip side, the Reds didn't mortgage those years by trading away prospects like Sal Stewart or Hectór Rodríguez to go all-out for this season. The Reds also held on to their impending free agents, right-hander Nick Martinez and closer Emilio Pagán, both of whom would have brought back prospects in return. While Martinez will be a free agent after the season, Brady Singer is under team control through next year, Hunter Greene is under contract through 2028 with an option for 2029 and Nick Lodolo is under team control through 2028. With Greene, Abbott, Lodolo under team control for the next three seasons after 2025, not to mention Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder, the Reds have the pitching to be in contention through the end of the decade. Advertisement Scott Barlow couldn't believe what he heard after Wednesday's win against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Barlow earned the win when he came into a tie game in the eighth inning with two runners on and one out. Barlow gave up a single to the first batter he faced, loading the bases. Barlow then got Andy Pages to pop out in foul territory for the second out and then the Dodgers' Michael Conforto popped up the second pitch he saw into right field, where Noelvi Marte called off second baseman Matt McLain and center fielder Will Benson before camping out under the ball and making the catch, ending the inning. Barlow walked off the field not knowing that it was the first fly ball hit to Marte in the outfield in his professional career. 'Really?' Barlow said when informed of that fact. 'What? That's crazy.' Francona knew it was, but that didn't faze him as he watched the ball go toward Marte, he said. 'I thought he was fine,' Francona said after the game. 'If I didn't, I wouldn't have left him out there.' Marte made his first start in the outfield since he was a kid just 10 days prior. He made two other appearances there in the days in between, but hadn't had a chance to catch a fly until the game was on the line. Afterward, Marte said it was no big deal. He felt fine in the outfield and is excited to move there. With Hayes under contract through 2029, the Reds have the game's best defensive third baseman for the near future. Marte was a shortstop when the Reds acquired him from the Mariners three years ago at the trade deadline. He moved to third base last season when it became clear that De La Cruz was the team's shortstop of the present and future. Marte has struggled at the big-league level at third base, committing 22 errors in 276 chances (a .920 fielding percentage), including five this season. Advertisement He first started working in the outfield before games earlier this season. After the All-Star break, he told outfield coach Collin Cowgill that he was ready to play in a game. Marte's bat plays in the corner outfield, and he has the speed, athleticism and arm to play there. Some in the organization think he could be an option in center field, as well. Francona threw out a chance of him working out at first base in the future, as well, but not anytime soon. Rookie Chase Burns is in the rotation for now, but if Hunter Greene returns, he could be headed to the bullpen. Burns hasn't pitched out of the bullpen as a pro, but that's a small sample. Burns mostly started in college, but did move to the bullpen in his sophomore year at Tennessee. In four starts since a disastrous outing in Boston, during which the team thinks Burns was tipping his pitches, he's struck out 37 batters over 22 innings and has had 10 strikeouts in each of his last three starts. The 22-year-old is still working on his changeup as a third pitch at the big-league level. In the bullpen, the Reds can tell him to forget the changeup and just focus on his fastball (with a 98.6 mph average as a starter) and slider (with a 44 percent whiff rate.) Burns enters his start Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway with 93 1/3 innings under his belt between the minors and majors this season. He threw 100 innings last year for Wake Forest before the Reds took him with the No. 2 pick in the draft. On the other end of the spectrum is Nick Martinez, who is heading to the bullpen after the acquisition of Littell Wednesday night. The Reds broached the subject of moving to the bullpen with Martinez before he started Wednesday's game against the Dodgers. He then allowed just two runs on four hits over six innings with seven strikeouts and finished with a no-decision in a Reds victory. Martinez told the Reds brass that he would make whatever move they thought was best, even after he had such a good start against the defending World Series champions. While some teams sent top prospects for rental relievers, the Reds sent an A-ball pitcher and a Triple-A starter and may have fortified its bullpen.
New York Times
21 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Reds' Nick Krall gets creative to address team's outfield, bullpen needs
The Cincinnati Reds bookended their 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday with a pair of trades, acquiring former Gold Glove third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes from the Pittsburgh Pirates before the game and right-handed starter Zack Littell from the Tampa Bay Rays after the game. For a team that was in search of an outfield bat and bullpen help, it might sound odd that the team added an infielder and a starter, but both moves had ripple effects that fill the outfield and bullpen. Hayes moves third baseman Noelvi Marte to the outfield, and Littell moves Wednesday's Reds starter, Nick Martinez, to the bullpen in a swingman role. Advertisement 'We looked at the relief market where we could add to the bullpen, and this was the best of both worlds where we got to add starting depth and add to the bullpen by putting Martinez there,' said Nick Krall, the Reds' president of baseball operations. The Reds sent 21-year-old left-hander Adam Serwinowski and 28-year-old right-hander Brian Van Belle to the Rays in exchange for Littell. The Reds had acquired Van Belle from the Boston Red Sox last month. The Rays traded Serwinowski to the Dodgers. Los Angeles had asked for Serwinowski, who was 1-7 with a 4.84 ERA at High-A Dayton this year, in the Gavin Lux deal last offseason but was rebuffed. Krall said he broached the subject of Martinez moving to the bullpen with him before his start against the Dodgers on Wednesday and then again after Martinez allowed just two runs on four hits over six innings in the team's victory over the Dodgers. 'He's one of the best teammates you could ever be around,' Krall said of Martinez. 'He just wants to do whatever is best for the team.' A quality six innings from Nick Martinez! — Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 31, 2025 It might sound like a cliche, but Martinez has shown he's willing to back up those words with actions. Even though he's the team's highest-paid player after accepting a $21.05 million qualifying offer last offseason, Martinez has twice pitched out of the bullpen this season. A year ago, he started the season in the rotation, moved to the bullpen and then returned to the rotation for the last two months of the season. Martinez was 5-2 with a 1.86 ERA over 26 appearances and 53 1/3 innings last season out of the bullpen and 5-5 with a 3.84 ERA as a starter, but he was 5-2 with a 3.24 ERA over 11 starts after being moved back to the rotation. After Wednesday's game against the Dodgers, he's 9-9 with a 4.61 ERA. He has been perfect in his two relief appearances, spanning three innings. Advertisement The Reds recently found out that starter Carson Spiers will require elbow surgery and be lost for the year, so adding starting depth was important for a team that fell out of contention in 2023 in part because it didn't have enough starting depth. In 2021, the Reds were in the playoff hunt until the last weekend, going into game No. 158 needing a win to stay alive. For that game, the team's starter, Riley O'Brien, was making his big-league debut. With Littell, the Reds still have Martinez, who can go back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen, and then can add another reliever when the rosters expand in September, giving them more options. The Reds should welcome back Opening Day starter Hunter Greene sometime in August. Greene made his first Triple-A rehab appearance Tuesday and is scheduled to pitch again Sunday. When Greene returns, rookie Chase Burns will likely go to the bullpen, in part to help keep his innings down. Burns, the No. 2 pick in last year's MLB Draft, has thrown 93 1/3 innings between the majors and minors this year after throwing 100 at Wake Forest last season. Burns started Monday against the Dodgers and took the loss but finished with 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits. Burns is scheduled to start Saturday's game against the Atlanta Braves at Bristol Motor Speedway in his home state of Tennessee. 'We're going to work through his innings and see where they all stack up,' Krall said. 'The goal is for him to end the season playing, not getting shut down.' Littell, 29, threw six shutout innings for the Rays against the New York Yankees on Wednesday, allowing just two hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Littell is 8-8 with a 3.58 ERA in 22 starts this season. He had his worst start since April on Friday at Great American Ball Park against Martinez and the Reds. Advertisement In the series opener, the Reds tagged him for five earned runs on 10 hits, including two home runs, one by TJ Friedl and the other from Tyler Stephenson, one of his new catchers with the Reds. Littell has allowed 26 home runs, the most in the majors. Though Great American Ball Park has a deserved reputation for allowing home runs, it might be better than the Rays' temporary home, George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. According to MLB Park Factors statistics, Steinbrenner Field has allowed 20 percent more home runs than the average field, and GABP sits at 11 percent. That said, only eight of the 26 home runs Littell has allowed this season have been at the team's home park. Yankee Stadium, where he pitched Wednesday, allows 19 percent more homers than average. Krall said the team still has some money in the budget to add but noted it wasn't a lot. 'You'd always like to add more if you can,' Krall said. 'But if this is our group, we've got a good group, and we're excited about it.' (Photo of Nick Martinez throwing to first: Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
