- The Reds outrighted right-hander Nefi Ogando to Triple-A, according to Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Ogando has been limited to just 5 1/3 minor league innings this season due to a hand injury, and then a shoulder injury suffered while rehabbing his hand. The hard-throwing Ogando has a 3.86 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 1.69 K/BB rate over 373 1/3 career innings in the farm systems for four different teams (Reds, Marlins, Phillies, Red Sox) in his eight-year pro career. Ogando has also had a couple of brief stints at the big league level with Miami and Philadelphia over the last two seasons.
- The White Sox purchased the contract of catcher Rob Brantly from Triple-A, in a corresponding move to the 10-day DL placement of outfielder Nicky Delmonico. Brantly has spent the entire season with the Triple-A affiliates of the White Sox and Reds, coming to Chicago’s organization in late June after being released by Cincy. He’ll be looking for his first taste of MLB action since 2015, when he appeared in 14 games in a previous stint with the White Sox.
- The Reds selected the contract of catcher Chad Wallach from Triple-A Louisville prior to yesterday’s game. The move was made to replace Stuart Turner, who went on the paternity list. Even if it may be a brief stint as Cincy’s backup catcher, it still represents the first big league callup for Wallach, a fifth-round pick for Miami in the 2013 draft and the owner of a .259/.350/.387 slash line over 1477 plate appearances in the minors. Wallach, the son of longtime Expos/Dodgers third baseman and current Marlins bench coach Tim Wallach, joined the Reds in December 2014 along with Anthony DeSclafani in the trade that sent Mat Latos to Miami.
Reds Rumors
Angels Claim Blake Wood
The Angels have claimed righty Blake Wood off waivers from the Reds, per a club announcement. Right-hander Matt Shoemaker was shifted to the 60-day DL to make way for the acquisition.
Wood had been designated recently by Cincinnati after a pair of dreadful outings. But he certainly has a big arm and some track record of success in the majors.
The Halos will hope that Wood becomes the team’s latest reclamation success — perhaps helping to make up for the absence of David Hernandez, who was dealt away at the deadline. Since, the Angels have managed to climb into the thick of the AL Wild Card race.
Wood, 32, carried a 3.69 ERA until he was lit up on August 11th. Now, just two weeks later, that figure has ballooned all the way to 5.65. But he does still have solid-enough peripherals, with 9.7 K/9 against 4.6 BB/9 along with a 53.6% groundball rate, and still works in the 97 mph range with his heater.
If Wood can prove his worth in Los Angeles, the club may also consider retaining him for the future. He’s earning $1.275MM this year and can be tendered arbitration once more this fall.
NL Central Notes: Cardinals, Reds, Cubs
The Cardinals see “a need” in the closer role in the wake of Trevor Rosenthal’s Tommy John surgery, but GM Mike Girsch tells MLB.com’s Jen Langosch that “there’s not a ton we can do about it” this year. While the club is still looking to see if there’s a late-inning arm to be had, he suggested, it’s just not likely that one will be found with another week to go until the end of August (after which players who are traded cannot appear on a postseason roster). But the Cards will look to bolster the pen over the winter, Girsch said, with the precise direction still to be determined — based in part upon how things go the rest of the way and what the market bears.
- In other Cardinals-focused coverage, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch takes a look at the immediate replacement options for Rosenthal. And his colleague, Derrick Goold, analyzes the organization’s possible September call-ups. GM John Mozeliak says that the organization is rich in upper-level talent that could contribute down the stretch. Goold’s examination goes into great detail on the thought process, and is well worth a read — even for fans of other teams.
- With somewhat less fanfare, for obvious reasons, the Reds also recently lost a key pitcher for the rest of the season: righty Scott Feldman, who required knee surgery. Feldman ended up taking down $4MM in total for his 2017 season, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes — with incentives boosting his $2.3MM base salary. He’ll likely be as affordable, if not moreso, this coming winter, though Feldman did post solid results before his knee started barking. He also seemingly left a good impression, with manager Bryan Price crediting Feldman as “a tremendous competitor, though the skipper also hinted that the organization will be aiming to minimize the health risk in building out its rotation over the winter.
- The Cubs have several relatively unheralded players that could make big contributions down the stretch, ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers writes. Swingman Mike Montgomery and infielder Tommy La Stella have already made an impact while filling in for injured regulars, Rogers notes, while the team may yet hope for a late charge from struggling relievers Hector Rondon and Justin Wilson.
Reds Release Kahaloa, Sign De Paula
- The Reds have made a pair of minor moves involving right-handed pitchers. Prospect Ian Kahaloa was released after a recreational drug suspension earlier this year. The 19-year-old was a fifth-round pick in 2015 and had produced quality results at the Rookie ball level before running into off-the-field trouble. In another move, Cincinnati signed Rafael De Paula after he was cut loose by the Padres. He originally went to San Diego along with Yangervis Solarte in the 2014 swap that sent Chase Headley to the Yankees. De Paula had some success at the Double-A level for the Pads after converting to a relief role, but struggled to a 4.99 ERA in his 30 2/3 Triple-A frames.
[SOURCE LINK]
Reds Designate Blake Wood, Select Contract Of Alejandro Chacin
The Reds have announced a series of transactions designed to get some fresh arms to the majors. In moves with 40-man implications, righty Blake Wood was designated for assignment while the team selected the contract of fellow right-hander Alejandro Chacin. Additionally, righty Luke Farrell was recalled and outfielder Phil Ervin was optioned back to Triple-A.
It’s a bit surprising to see Cincinnati cut ties with Wood, who is eligible for arbitration one final time in 2018 after earning $1.275MM this year. The 32-year-old does carry an ugly 5.65 ERA, but that’s due in large part to the staggering nine earned runs he allowed in his last two outings. (More generally, too, he carries a low strand rate of 62.1% and has been tagged for a lofty .364 BABIP by opposing hitters.) Of course, that pair of disastrous appearances also likely paved the way for today’s move.
Despite the less-than-exciting earned run average, Wood has averaged 9.7 K/9 against 4.6 BB/9 on the year while sporting a 53.6% groundball rate. And he still delivers an upper-nineties heater that could hold appeal to other organizations.
That said, the Reds surely at least looked for takers and perhaps found insufficient interest. And the move makes way for Chacin, a 24-year-old who has steadily risen through the ranks over the past three years and figures to be a bullpen option for 2018 and beyond.
Chacin has spent the entirety of 2017 at Triple-A, posting a 2.60 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 over 69 1/3 innings in 44 appearances. That multi-inning versatility could give the Reds yet another flexible arm — part of an acknowledged strategy of the organization.
Second Opinion Confirms No Ligament Damage For DeSclafani
- Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani received a second opinion on his injured right elbow, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. After an initial MRI revealed that there was no ligament damage in his ailing right elbow, DeSclafani sent his scans to Dr. Keith Meister for a second look, and Meister confirmed as much. DeSclafani is on a throwing program and hopes to ramp up quicker than usual to “really be able to test the ligament and get back on the mound,” but Buchanan notes that time could be starting to run out for DeSclafani to take the mound in a Reds uniform this season. DeSclafani has not pitched for the Reds this season due to a sprained UCL in his right elbow and this latest bout of inflammation.
Scott Feldman Undergoes Knee Surgery
Reds righty Scott Feldman will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery today, per a club announcement (h/t MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, on Twitter). His right knee was cleaned up in the arthroscopic procedure.
With that news, the 34-year-old will almost certainly return to the open market before throwing another pitch for Cincinnati. The 13-year MLB veteran had joined the club on a one-year, $2.3MM pact over the winter.
It seemed at one point that Feldman would make for an interesting summer trade chip for the Reds, given his cheap salary and solid performance through the end of June. Since then, however, he has made only four starts, over which he has surrendered 18 earned runs in just 13 2/3 innings.
Lack Of Cozart Market Could Create Dilemma For Reds
While Zack Cozart still stands out as a logical on-paper trade candidate, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that it doesn’t seem that much of a market has developed for the 31-year-old. That puts the Reds in a difficult position, as if no trade materializes, they’ll need to weigh whether to make Cozart a qualifying offer that’ll likely be worth a bit more than $18MM. Cozart’s sensational defense and huge step forward both in terms of power and plate discipline make that seem like a reasonable offer for the Reds. However, the lack of a clear market for shortstops and the draft compensation to which he’d be tied could make Cozart at least ponder accepting a theoretical QO, Buchanan notes.
Feldman's Season Could Be In Jeopardy
- The knee injury that landed Reds righty Scott Feldman on the disabled list last month has resurfaced and could potentially end his season, writes Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Feldman was candid in telling the Cincinnati media, “If it doesn’t get any better, I don’t think I can pitch like that anymore.” Feldman served up five homers to the Cubs in fewer than four innings before exiting yesterday’s game. Feldman’s fastball was sitting at 82 mph in that rocky outing, Buchanan notes, and the veteran acknowledged that he’s “not really feeling too confident” about the outlook of the injury. This isn’t Feldman’s first bout of troubles with his right knee; the right-hander underwent microfracture surgery on that same knee back in 2011 and tore a meniscus in that same knee four years later with the Astros.
Reds Face Rotation Questions In September
- The Reds may have more question marks in their pitching staff heading into the final six weeks of the season than they did entering the year, writes Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The cavalcade of injuries that has beset the team’s rotation has deprived the Reds of looks at a number of young arms and also created uncertainty around preseason rotation locks such as Anthony DeSclafani and Brandon Finnegan. A six-man rotation could be on the horizon, Buchanan notes, and Robert Stephenson is already set to rejoin the rotation this weekend. Manager Bryan Price also indicated that right-hander Sal Romano will continue starting, per Buchanan. The skipper also indicated that righty reliever Austin Brice could be done for the year due to a lat injury.
