The Reds have acquired outfielder Nick Solak from the Rangers in exchange for cash considerations, according to an announcement from Texas.
Solak, 28, in January, was a second round pick of the Yankees in 2016 but was traded to the Rays as part of the 2018 three-team deal that saw the Yanks get Brandon Drury and the Diamondbacks get Steven Souza Jr. In July of 2019, the Rays flipped him to Texas for Pete Fairbanks.
After that second trade, Solak made his MLB debut with the Rangers, getting into 33 games down the stretch in 2019. It could hardly have gone much better, as Solak hit .293/.393/.491 in that stretch for a wRC+ of 126. He played second and third base in that time, giving the Rangers an exciting option for the infield.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to maintain those results since then. Over 2020 and 2021, he hit .250/.318/.357 for a wRC+ of just 88. He also struggled defensively and got pushed into a corner outfield role, putting more pressure on him to provide value offensively. He was optioned on and off the team throughout 2022, only getting into 35 big league games and not hitting too much when in the lineup. He finished the season on the IL due to a foot fracture and needed to be reinstated since the IL goes away today and doesn’t come back until Spring Training. Instead of adding him back to the roster, the club has swung a deal and sent him to Cincinnati.
For the Reds, there’s little harm in taking a shot on a bounceback. They’ve been stripping the roster down for the past couple of years and aren’t likely to be competitive here in 2023. Although Solak has struggled at the big league level in the past few years, he’s still performed well in Triple-A. In 2022, that led to a batting line of .278/.371/.489 and a wRC+ of 114.
The Reds have some other outfield options, such as Nick Senzel, TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley and Aristides Aquino, though none of them are really set in stone. Solak still has one option year remaining, which means the Reds don’t even need to commit an active roster spot for him. If he can get his bat back on track, he still has years of arbitration control remaining.
Where’s Hahn. Sleeping again. Oh forgot needed cash
No shot you’re that upset after not getting Nick Solak
Come on man, I get piling on, but while Solak could potentially figure it out, he’s 100% a flyer.
Wonder how much cash the Rangers got? Like, $43 maybe?
I think you will see a lot more of these types of moves this week and next. A lot of team’s face roster crunches this winter and with today’s deadline to reinstate players, Tuesday’s deadline to protect Rule 5 Draft prospects, and next Friday’s non-tender deadline there will be a lot of roster shuffling. The Hot Stove season is upon us, and I am very excited!
I hope Nick figures it out. There were brief periods of time where he looked like a force at the plate. Then he’d fall off. He was very hard to watch defensively. He may be doomed to a DH role if he can’t become more consistent in the field quick.
He was hard to watch defensively in the outfield, agreed. But he was an above average second basemen.
Defensive metrics are spotty and don’t tell the whole story as well as some other metrics, but there is nothing that shows Solak is good defensively at any position, and is a below average offensive player so far as well.
Solid “give him a shot to figure it out because we are going to suck real bad again next year” pickup for the Reds. Only going to be 28 next year and still has 4 years of control.
And everyone tried to says they rays lost this deal after about 1 month lmaooooo
I get worried any time we trade with Tampa Bay. I always feel like they know something we don’t. At least the Lowe deal seems to be working out well for us.
And Brock Burke
Burke and lowe were unfortunately just very blocked by the current team we had and lowe so stinking it up because of lack of at bats. So he was a formality of just being blocked by others, the team did really like him
Not a bad guy to take a flier on. The upside is there.
So either the Reds plan to move on from Nick Senzel, or they’re doubling down and will field a whole team just like him.
I don’t think India or even Steer will get nervous.
Good move he’ll replace sone one in LF or RF.
Don’t the Reds already have a Nick Solack in Nick Senzel? Makes you wonder if Senzel is going to be non-tendered
Wait. The Reds have cash?
Further proof that the Reds are Solak-ing in talent….
They definitely are lacking at the MLB level (except for their starters), but to say they are Solak-ing in talent in the minors would be way off. Ha. They may be Solak-ing in ownership talent though.
Reds doing Red things
Nice cheap short side platoon utility pickup for a team needing placeholders.
Buy low, maybe sell high. Another Drury/Pham type gamble. They did this with pitchers for years before that.
Can we buy the trash can from the Astros cash considerations to put the trash veterans they are about to sign dumpster diving.
That could be a great signing, he used to be really good
NO,NO, NO Just another utility infielder, maybe. Why use a 40 slot on him. Open up a spot by releasing the ‘M’ as hoping he recovers for a mid season trade is very wishful.