The Athletics have struck a deal to acquire righty Tanner Roark plus cash from the Reds, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link). Outfielder Jameson Hannah is headed to Cincinnati in return, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle notes that the Reds will pick up $2.1MM of Roark’s remaining salary, which looks to be a bit more than $3MM. The trade is now official. As is commonplace, Roark learned of the trade in an Arby’s parking lot.
Roark is earning $10MM this year before hitting free agency at season’s end. He was a clear trade candidate for a Cincinnati organization that is largely looking ahead to the 2020 campaign. The club’s recent acquisition of Trevor Bauer, combined with the recent return of Alex Wood, left a bit of a rotation overload even with Tyler Mahle hitting the injured list.
The Athletics have scrambled all season long to keep their own rotation afloat. Anticipated arrivals of a variety of injured, younger hurlers just haven’t happened yet. With the club competing hard for a Wild Card slot — if not a late dash for the division — there was a clear need for more starters, even after the prior acquisition of Homer Bailey (who has struggled in Oakland).
Roark, who’s closing in on his 33rd birthday, has taken a step back after a strong opening to the season. He’s now sitting on a 4.24 ERA through 110 1/3 innings on the year, with 8.8 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 1.14 HR/9, and 36.7% groundball rate in 110 1/3 innings. Roark, a 25th round pick by the Rangers in 2008, joined the Nationals in 2010 as part of the Cristian Guzman trade. He greatly exceeded expectations with the Nationals, logging 935 innings of 3.59 ball across six seasons. 2016 was a particular high point, as Roark finished 10th in the NL Cy Young voting. The Reds picked him up in a December trade.
Soon to turn 22, Hannah was a second-round pick in the 2018 draft. He has been playing at the High-A level, where he carries a .284/.341/.381 batting line in 414 plate appearances. It seems his power will need to come around a bit, but he’s regarded as possessing a quality hit tool with an advanced approach. Prior to the season, Baseball America considered Hannah a 50 grade prospect, citing a “sweet left-handed swing paired with plus athleticism and double-plus speed.” BA sees Hannah as a strong defensive center fielder and likely big leaguer, making him a nice score for two months of Roark. It appears the Reds were able to pick up most of the tab on Roark’s salary and extract a better prospect as a result.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Another mediocre starter billy beane
Go away
It’s true dawg
Dealing for mediocre pitching so we don’t have to give up potentially elite pitching prospects. Makes perfect sense to me.
Twins are sure doing a lot to make a run aren’t they?
who won the season series?
Twinsfan368 let’s stay in our own teams thread. You’re a negative impression on the fan base
Twinsfan368 gets after it
You’re not very Minnesota nice.
Dude, I’m from Minny too. You got to stop trolling and giving the rest of us a bad reputation.
He (assuming gender here, how dare I!) is almost as bad as Packers fans. Hardcore trolling. SKOL
Geez Twins loves hating on every single acquisition doesn’t he?
Roark is a solid mid rotation pitcher. If he can pitch in GABP, he’ll deal in the Coliseum.
He did earlier this year.
What exactly are the reds planning to do?
He is not a Brave!!! Thank God!
A’s gearing up for that WC race
Hmm dunno about that one As
It was actually a decent move just wait
Klentak i swear to God
Give ’em Fowler. Neuse for Roark is an overpay.
The probably prefer Fowler. He can play CF and had a higher prospect pedigree. They don’t need another infield backup. I don’t really care what either one of them are doing in the PCL. Hitting stats are a complete joke there.
We gave up Jameson Hannah. I’m okay with that. He’s pretty far away, and honestly comes across as a tweener. He’d get wrecked playing at the Coliseum.
I think that’s a better give than Fowler at this point. Fowler was already blocked in CF and really has nowhere to go. Hannah was at least a few years off w the potential to develop further. They’re similar type players but I’d prefer Hannah’s upside at this point. It’s a good return for cincy. Not the end of the world for Oakland to give up. But it shouldn’t be. It was half a year of Roark.
Hannah wasn’t even the most highly touted center fielder on the Ports. Beck is still a center fielder until he’s not. Then you look at our center field options in the near future: Laureano, Bolt.
Yeah, it’s a fair give for a pitcher.
I wonder if laureano injiru caused them to keep fowler. Hannah looks like an overpay but no power, bad base stealer despite great speed and below avg arm in cf. Although i hate wasting a high pick for a rental. I guess with beck, lazarito, and barerra around theres atill outfield depth in AA and high A
I know the A’s are stocked with CF’s that’s why I said Fowler made a lot of sense there. It’s a solid get for Cincy. I thought either one would. Hannah’s further away w probably a little more potential at his ceiling at this point. So it’s a nice snag. Oakland needed the pitcher and they were stocked up well in CF. Could be a win win.
Neuse is blocked from moving up to the A’s though.
No he’s not. Neuse can play second, third, short and he’s played in the outfield. He isn’t as defensively challenged as Renato Nunez was.
Neuse is blocked on his own team and he’s not on the 40 man yet, they’re most likely grooming him to be another Pinder with better defense.
Neuse could be our solution at second, actually. Profar and Barreto aren’t impressing, which is unfair to Barreto given he hasn’t gotten a real good opportunity with us to adjust to major league pitching.
Not assuming Neuse will just come up and rake, but it’s worth a try. It’s also worth mentioning he worked with Ellis over the last couple of years at second.
They’ve been hinting that Mateo is next for the great 2B tryout since he’s on the 40 man, but Neuse could force his way real quick
I dunno if you bring up a guy that has been struggling the way he is.
Dudes gonna deal in the coliseum
Bailey hasn’t been terrible he’s had 2 good starts then a nightmare one at Houston which is understandable
Yeah at the collesium he’s thrown 2 quality starts in two starts
Only for Hannah? *whew*
And to think, I was willing to give them Fowler. Then again, that worked because it would give Roark a 40 man spot.
I was afraid it was going to be for Jefferies.
I know the A’s have been prioritizing contact pitchers lately, but they absolutely need to be looking to keep guys with strikeout stuff. Jefferies has 59 strikeouts to 6 walks. SIX WALKS. If he can’t stick as a starter he’s got bullpen written all over him with that command.
That’s backwards. Great command should stick in the rotation. Poor command tends to works out in the bullpen where they can play their stuff up.
Hey at least Beane did something.
Hannah is the odd man out in the A’s outfield of the future. Lazarito, Beck, and Neuse all better hitters
A’s Billy Beane at al are just masters scrambling with the little money given by ownership! Way to go, Billy! Go A’s!
So Roark has “taken a step back” but Wheeler is a prime possession? Their stats are surprisingly parallel.
Hannah same age as Trammell, might take his place so to speak in Reds minor league system.
thought Roark was possibility for Phils to get Vince into the bullpen as well.
Nice return for the Reds. Top 10 prospect of the A’s for a two month rental.
Ha ha, Homer Bailey struggled in Oakland? His entire career has been a struggle.
wishing Roark good luck! He really grew on me here with the Reds, good guy easy to root for. I imagine he’ll fare better in a pitcher’s park. Gonna miss him but figured he’d be moved
Yeah.
Dude’s a bulldog. He was fun to watch this year.
Good deal for both sides, Roark is the type of guy that would excel in Oakland. Hes not fancy and his control hasnt been great this year but if the A’s can help him out there then i dont see why he cant finish with a low to mid 3 era. The Reds get a solid OF who softens the blow of losing Trammell and maybe has a chance to join Winker and Senzel to form a really underrated outfield for the Reds.
What do the Reds do? Do they bullpen it one time through until Mahle cones back?
Castillo, Bauer, Gray, DeSclafani, and Wood are the starters for now.
When Mahle comes back, he’ll be the long man, and would move into the rotation if anybody goes down.
People gave the Reds grief for acquiring big league talent in an attempt to win-now, but they not only had the guts to go for it in 2019, they also ended up with a better prospect in Hannah than the one they originally dealt in Rainey.
Maybe. Rainey is pitching pretty well in Washington this year. Hannah hasn’t even played MLB yet; maybe he never will. Yes, Hannah has a higher ceiling.
wow much to my surprise Homer “dead arm ” Bailey has struggled
Homer baily is 2 and 1 for Oakland. In the 2 wins he pitched very well for them. In the 1 game he lost he got shelled. So he struggled in 1 game. I guess in Mike Trout went 0 for 5 and makes a error you would call him a bum.
“It appears the Reds were able to pick up most of the tab on Roark’s salary and extract a better prospect as a result.”
Beane has been doing this since acquiring Ray Durham from the Giants in 2002.