The Reds have selected the contracts of three Triple-A right-handers — Dayan Diaz, A.J. Morris and Josh Smith — and transferred both starter Anthony DeSclafani and outfielder Yorman Rodriguez to the 60-day disabled list, per a club announcement.
DeSclafani, the closest thing to a household name the group offers, has missed the entire season so far with an oblique issue. The 26-year-old had a positive bullpen session earlier this week, however, and could make his way back to the team’s injury-plagued, subpar rotation sometime soon. DeSclafani was solid last year, his first full big league season, in totaling 184 2/3 innings of 4.05 ERA/3.67 FIP/3.97 xFIP pitching.
Rodriguez (hamstring) has also been out for all of 2016, but the out-of-options 23-year-old was expected to push for a roster spot with the Reds during the spring. Rodriguez signed with the Reds as a 16-year-old in 2008 for $2.5MM, then a record bonus for Venezuelan amateurs. In 2,546 minor league plate appearances, Rodriguez has hit .261/.314/.399 with 50 home runs. He got his first (and only) taste of the majors in 2014, collecting 29 PAs in 11 games.
The Reds are the fourth organization for the 27-year-old Diaz, who hasn’t yet pitched in the majors. Diaz has posted mostly sterling numbers across 10 minor league seasons, however, with a 2.04 ERA, 9.1 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 344 innings.
Like Diaz, Morris also looks poised to make his big league debut. The 29-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Nationals in 2009 and also spent time with the Cubs and Pirates organizations before joining the Reds this season. He has worked as both a starter and reliever in the minors, amassing 472 1/3 innings of 3.22 ERA ball to accompany a 7.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.
Smith, finally, tossed 32 2/3 innings in nine appearances (seven starts) with the Reds in 2015 and put up a nice K/9 (8.27), but he offset that with control problems (5.79 BB/9) and an unpalatable 6.89 ERA. Smith has fared better at Triple-A this year, compiling a 3.86 ERA, 7.29 K/9 and 2.79 BB/9 in 42 innings (eight starts).
So the guys the Reds have brought up haven’t been part of any of their winter trades? That’s a shame! Not Prices fault but somebody in their front office should be held accountable! They gave up two all stars for NOTHING.
Jocketty and Dick Williams are horrible… Trade the Reds only shot at a rebuild for a projected #3 starter from the Yankees, a lifetime triple a player in schebler, and a back up second baseman who’s a slap hitter with a terrible on base % in peraza… Where are all you defenders of jocketty now? I posted this same thing 3 months ago and everyone defended jocketty! The Dodgers got all of the good players in the Frazier trade and the Reds end up with f’ing Peraza! I’d take Thompson and Montas any day…
I guess the redlegs didn’t care about the return players as much because there main concern was dumping salary.