The Reds announced they’ve acquired minor league pitcher Jake Wong from the Giants. The deal completes a swap the teams orchestrated in the hours after the Rule 5 draft, when Cincinnati sent outfielder Blake Sabol to San Francisco.
Wong was a third-round pick of San Francisco out of Grand Canyon in 2018. His progression up the minor league ladder was delayed after the 2019 season, as the canceled minor league season wiped out his 2020. The Arizona native spent the following year on the minor league injured list, returning in 2022. He played this year at High-A Eugene, starting 17 of 25 appearances. In 97 2/3 innings, the righty pitched to a 4.52 ERA with a solid 25.3% strikeout rate and a slightly elevated 10.3% walk percentage.
Now 26 years old, Wong has still yet to reach the high minors. Given that lack of upper level experience, it’s not surprising he was left unprotected for and went unselected in this month’s Rule 5 draft. The Reds liked him enough to take a shot on him now that they need not dedicate him an active or 40-man roster spot. He’ll presumably start next year in Double-A or Triple-A and add some rotation depth to the organization.
Sabol has a much better chance of breaking camp in the big leagues. Cincinnati nabbed him out of the Pirates organization with the fourth pick in the Rule 5 draft. They presumably had worked out an understanding with the Giants — who didn’t select until 16th — that they’d flip him to San Francisco before making the pick, since the selections themselves cannot be traded. San Francisco will have to carry Sabol on the MLB roster or injured list all season or place him on waivers and, if he goes unclaimed, offer him back to Pittsburgh without requiring a 40-man spot.
Let me guess, low cost tremendous “upside” right? Am I close?
Are you saying that Wong has tremendous upside?
He is saying that Wong is all that and more!
Hey Cap 2 Wongs don’t make a right!
Hey Trumbo, The Reds taking Wong probably gotta hurt the Giants a bit? Poor Giants!
The Giants just need King Correa and the balance in their universe will be restored. I sense a deal coming tomorrow..
Basically a lot of Wong is a good problem to have.
You ain’t wong about that Cap..
I heard they called you Trumbo Jumbo Wong in college? The chics were like oh my god here he comes!
No I earned that nickname while in the SHU @ Pelican Bay!
Oh, Trumbo, I do hope you’re right.
So you’ve spent some time in Superman Jumbo? Lol
Supermax not Superman….
Haha No…It just sounded like a tougher origin story…I wanted to feel like a big man for once in my life haha
This just in, Giant Wong turns Red
Crime Dog, I HAVE ridden the Superman ride at Six Flags though!
Jumbo, I was hoping that the Mariners, after signing Kolten Wong, would acquire James Wong and then trade them both to the Braves for Kyle Wright. Two Wongs make a Wright sort of thing.
BPax….I never thought it was possible…You cracked the code!
Wong sells
BPax — I don’t want to encourage your behavior, but I laughed
(Pats self on back for prediction 7 hours ago)
….and alas his twin brother Sum Ting Wong remains unsigned.
Patience, TJ. Samuel still running the numbers 🙂
He blocked me after I told him the reason the Dodgers got KO’d from the post season early this year was because their bats went cold. It was actually a bit liberating.
I sent this to /about Samuel being Samuel yesterday:
Hotstovemelts
December 12, 2022
Don’t forget Ericl, Samuel knows absolutely everything! And is smarter than everyone! To the point that in order to accommodate that big brain, Samuels head is enormous! So much so that every time he sneezes, his chin hits himself in the balls! Haha
Welcome to the muted club
He (or anyone) can still read the posts of people that he muted simply by not first logging in.
Good! I hope he can read every single post that addresses what a mute monster clown he is !
I like Sabol. He’s, at worst, a great 26th man on your roster.
What a sterling endorsement.
it is when you consider he’s a rule 5 pick that you lose if he’s not on 26 man roster
According to sources the Reds originally asked the Braves for Kyle Wright but then they went the Wong way
That’s what I came here for. Thanks, Ed.
Yes Ed, thank you
John Boccabella says hi 😉
Good old JB. He taught Gary Carter everything he knew. Good thing Carter didn’t listen.
“Wong? Whose he?” -Rickey Henderson
Reds sux…Castellini sucks…sell the f8cking team
your spelling sucks
I totally agree. Reds going nowhere with this guy in charge.
Nashville Reds ! Get it done MLB !
No way they move out of Kentucky..
Oh Kentucky don’t you cry for me.
Sorry strike that…I was thinking of the Indy 500.
Is that in Indianapplepiss?
Lol
So over this ownership. I could put a better team together and my only credential is I follow baseball, these guys are supposed to have a better idea of what they are doing.
Stop bragging about being over qualified!
If luvin this comment is Wong.. I don’t wanna be right..
Half right.
You don’t need to follow baseball.
In a long line of stupid moves, this may be the stupidest. When they – literally – gave away Miley… and Barnhart… and Iglesias at least we understood that they were saving money.
Here, they gave up an OF prospect whose ceiling is MILES higher than any other OF on the 40, and who quite possibly could have been the best outfielder on the team RIGHT NOW. And at what risk? That they’d have to leave Stuart Fairchild or Joel Kuhnel off the roster?
…and instead, they give that up for a 26 year old pitcher stuck in A+.
Sell the team, Bob. Now.
And they wanna trade a SS prospect for an outfielder with similar upside…pretty damn dumb..
Too bad the traded Kolten Wong they could’ve been Wong 1 and Wong 2. Like Juan1 and Juan 2 from the not so great Major League Back to the Minors.
Any relation to the other two Wongs already in the league?
Wong is like Smith in Chinese
Hey! Wang is Johnson in Chinese.
I’d rather have Kolten Wong than a 26 year old pitcher who hasn’t gone beyond A ball.
Crash Davis was a better player to be named later than this guy!
At least he’s under 30 and not taking up a 40 man spot. At some point they need to get some higher upside guys because this guys isn’t it.
If loving you is Wong, I don’t want to be right
Read al your comments , and imo , honestly you’re all Wong
Just another, in a long line of Wong moves..
Is he related to the Chinese football star Wong Wei?