The Indians were known to be looking at outfield help in the lead-up to the trade deadline, and The Athletic’s Zack Meisel reports that Cleveland checked in on a pair of major NL Central names — the Tribe spoke to the Pirates about Bryan Reynolds, and with the Reds about Jesse Winker. It isn’t known if any serious talks took place about potential deals, or if the Indians were just doing their due diligence and were quickly rebuffed.
The Pirates are reportedly viewing Reynolds as a building block and aren’t looking to move him (at least for anything less than a gigantic offer). As for the Reds, it wasn’t even certain if they were going to be deadline sellers at all, even though Cincinnati had only a 39-40 record at the end of June. However, the Reds have gone 32-21 since July 1 and now hold a 1.5-game lead over the Padres for the second NL wild card slot. Given how Winker has developed into one of the game’s best bats, it’s safe to assume the Reds won’t be very open to offseason trade inquiries about his services, short of any “too good to be true” proposals.
More from the NL Central…
- Speaking of Winker, the slugger has recently started some baseball activities as he continues to work his way back from an intercostal strain. Reds manager David Bell told The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale and other reporters that Winker has begun throwing and strengthening exercises, and he’ll start swinging a bat sometime this week. Nightengale writes that Winker is “is still a couple of weeks away” from being activated from the 10-day injured list, after Winker was first placed on the IL on August 16.
- Also from Bell’s update to reporters, Brad Brach should begin a minor league rehab assignment this week. A right shoulder impingement sent Brach to the IL on August 8. Brach signed a minors contract with the Reds in May, and he has posted a 5.59 ERA over 29 relief innings since joining the big league roster.
- X-rays were negative on Ke’Bryan Hayes’ right hand after the Pirates third baseman left today’s game with a hand contusion, manager Derek Shelton told reporters (including The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey). Hayes was replaced at third base for the top of the eighth inning during the Bucs’ 4-3 win over the Cardinals. Fortunately, the injury appears to just a day-to-day situation for the rookie, who has already missed two months of the season due to a wrist injury. Over 312 plate appearances, Hayes has a modest .246/.317/.370 slash line and five home runs this year.
- Eduardo Escobar was playing catch on the field prior to today’s Brewers game, The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports (via Twitter). Escobar was retroactively placed on the 10-day IL due to a right hamstring strain on August 23, and was given an initial recovery timeline of 10-14 days. After being acquired in a trade with the Diamondbacks, Escobar appeared in only 21 games with his new team before being sidelined. Escobar was Arizona’s All-Star representative this season, and he has hit .252/.307/.473 with 24 homers over 489 combined PA with the D’Backs and Brewers.
I think Hayes’ hard has bothered him all this year. He’s still crushing the ball (90.3 MPH exit velo, 45.2% hard hit rate), but he has a 55.8% ground ball rate. He’s never had a super low, sub-40% GB% rate in the minors, but this is about 10% greater than he ever had in one minor league season. I think a good off season of rest will do him good. I’ve already seen people write him off as a bust even though the talent is absoltuley there. I don’t think comparing him to the player he was in the minors because, in my opinion, he’s a very different kind of batter.
Wrong site to be talking about his hard.
If someone writes off a prospect after such a short period of time, you can pretty much write off their opinion. Look at what Mike Trout and Greg Maddux did when they first came up to the majors. I’m not saying Hayes (or Lux, Kelenic, etc.) will become a Hall of Famer, but he has plenty of time to prove himself.
Lux sux
tstats, your opinion is duly noted and appropriately written off.
Wander Franco took a while to get rolling , then torched pitchers in August
Yep this is just year 1, prospects don’t start to show their true form until year 3, so anything before that is just a bonus
Year 1: flash raw skills
Year 2: sophomore slump
Year 3: correct sophomore mistakes
All you need to know about Hayes is that Charlie Hayes said he was the least physically talented of his kids. So it’s obvious that he’s not coasting by on anything, and he’s determined to work hard and be great.
What a stupid article about the Indians — checking in on a couple of players they know very well would not be available. Get real.
If the price is right almost anyone is available.
Who can say Tyler Freeman or Gabriel Arias as part of a 3 or 4 player package couldn’t get Winker. Or maybe Nolan Jones packaged with a young Pitcher or two couldn’t get Reynolds from the Pirates. If the Indians were willing to pay it’s possible they could have gotten either one
I guess it depends on when they asked, cause wouldn’t they want to take a shot at Adam Frazier?
@indianfan. I found this interesting as the Indians traded outfielder Rosario (yes I know he was injured) for of all players Pablo Sandoval. Seems like a tanking move on the Indians part to me.
Tanking? It was a pure salary dump of a guy that was hurt and earning too much money while they wanted to see what the other younger OF options could offer.
So calm down. You complain about everything?
There is no point in complaints. The Braves checked in on Reynolds and got the obligatory “give us everything you have” price tag for Reynolds. If some other team just happened across a lucky strike for this you would be complaining about why the Indians DIDN’T check in on him.
Being a fan can be frustrating. Being an Indians fan is to be among the MOST frustrated of fans so I get the lash out.
Might be time to platoon Hayes with Wade Boggs
Worked for his dad!
If I were a Pirates fan and they traded Bryan Reynolds, that would have me looking for another team to root for unless the return was something ridiculous that made them more competitive right now.
And it should be too. He really does look like a cornerstone player for a future Pirates team. Any offer to get Reynolds would have to be more than the kid is worth and he is worth a whoooooole lot.
K’Bryan Hayes is going to be an excellent MLB player, he just needs a little more time. Reynolds is already an all-star caliber CF, so if a few more of the Pirates’ young kids live up to their potential, they could be building a truly competitive team by 2023 or 2024 at the latest. Both Hayes & Reynolds will be big factors in the rebuild process in Pittsburg. Pitching is still the #1 need for the Pirates to have a successful rebuild though.
Just asking: Why did they trade Adam Frazier to the Padres? He seems like a good young player at second. All Star. When is he a free agent? I’m guessing they (Pirates) didn’t have a lot of years of control on him?