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Reds Strike Last-Minute Deal With Hunter Greene

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The Reds have agreed to sign second overall pick Hunter Greene, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis (Twitter links), with a record-setting $7.23MM bonus landing the multi-talented youngster. Things came right down to the wire for the California prep star, though most believed all along that he’d end up putting pen to paper.

Greene was taken second overall in the recent Rule 4 draft. That slot came with an allocation of $7,193,200. Just how much bonus money Greene would land, though, could only be sorted out through post-draft negotiations. It was long suggested that his reps were pushing for the highest-ever signing bonus under the current draft slot system, which he did ultimately achieve.

Greene’s alternatives were to attend UCLA, where he had committed, for at least three years; or instead to enroll in a junior college — thus permitting re-entry into the draft after just one season. For the team, missing on Greene would’ve meant landing the third overall pick in next year’s draft. Clearly, though, both saw a deal as the optimal outcome, and that’s just what occurred.

Unsurprisingly, there was a considerable amount of jockeying among the first several draft selections. Fourth overall pick Brendan McKay (Rays, $7,005,000) and fifth overall selection Kyle Wright (Braves, $7MM) both took home more than first overall pick Royce Lewis (Twins, $6.725MM).

Entering the draft, Greene was generally seen as the top available talent. ESPN.com’s Keith Law had him atop his board, as did the prospect analyst teams at Baseball America and MLB.com.

Though he’s considered a significant prospect at shortstop, Greene’s greatest upside lies on the mound. Per the scouting reports, he works off of a huge fastball that he commands well with a smooth delivery and excellent athleticism. Though his secondary pitches are in need of refinement, that’s to be expected for a player who won’t even reach 18 years of age until August.

Reds Notes: Hunter Greene, Raisel Iglesias

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The Reds will have until 5pm EST on Friday to reach agreement with second overall pick Hunter Greene. As MLB.com’s Jim Callis explains, he’s among a few top picks who have yet to agree to terms, but is still expected to do so. Indeed, as Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer further explains, it’d rate as quite a surprise if Greene doesn’t take a record-setting bonus offer to turn pro before the deadline.

  • The Reds may or may not have much interest in dealing away 27-year-old reliever Raisel Iglesias, but other teams are surely eyeing the quality righty and his appealing contract. It’s unsurprising to hear, then, that the closer-needy Nationals have at least some degree of interest in Iglesias, as MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweets. On paper, the fit is plenty clear. But it remains to be seen what kind of asking price the Reds will place on Iglesias — who is currently sitting on a 1.59 ERA while maintaining a jump in velocity this year — and whether the Nats will be willing to offload significant prospects to get him.

Reds Place Devin Mesoraco On DL

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3:24pm: It appears Mesoraco has dodged a major injury, as multiple people have told Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer that his latest shoulder issue is neither serious nor related to last year’s surgery (Twitter links).

3:19pm: The Reds have placed catcher Devin Mesoraco on the 10-day disabled list with a left shoulder strain. His roster spot will go to right-hander Ariel Hernandez, whom the Reds recalled from Triple-A Louisville.

[RELATED: Updated Reds Depth Chart]

At 36-47, the Reds are well out of the playoff hunt, meaning Mesoraco’s loss isn’t a blow to their chances to contend. The injury itself could be worrisome, though, considering Mesoraco missed nearly all of last season with a torn labrum in the same shoulder. Mesoraco had surgery on that shoulder in May 2016, ending his season, and then underwent a procedure on his hip in July. As a result, he didn’t debut this year until the end of April.

Mesoraco missed most of the 2015 campaign with hip problems, so the 129 plate appearances the offense-first backstop has racked up this year are already more than the 106 he combined for from 2015-16. Prior to landing on the DL, the 29-year-old was in the midst of an encouraging season, as he has slashed a solid .234/.333/.459 with six home runs.

Now, with over $3MM left on his contract this year and another $13MM on the way in 2018, the Reds are left to hope Mesoraco hasn’t suffered yet another serious injury. In the meantime, they’ll turn to Tucker Barnhart and Stuart Turner as their top two catchers.

Reds Trade Tony Renda To D-Backs

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  • Infielder Tony Renda has been dealt from the Reds to the Diamondbacks in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweets. The 26-year-old had been outrighted over the winter after struggling in his MLB debut last year. Through 198 plate appearances at Triple-A in 2017, he was slashing just .260/.305/.326 — albeit with just 18 strikeouts to go with a dozen walks.

Reds Select Asher Wojciechowski's Contract

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  • The Reds purchased the contract of right-hander Asher Wojciechowski, as per a team announcement.  In corresponding moves, Brandon Finnegan was moved to the 60-day DL and righty Jackson Stephens was optioned to Triple-A.  This is Wojciechowski’s second stint with the big league team this season, having been DFA’ed and outrighted off Cincinnati’s roster last month.  Wojciechowski posted a 6.75 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 4.5 K/BB rate over 21 1/3 IP, and he allowed six homers over that brief stay in the majors.

Red Sox Acquire International Bonus Money In Trades With Reds, Cardinals

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5:48pm: The Reds sent $2.75MM in spending room to the Red Sox, tweets Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

10:33am: The Red Sox have acquired international bonus pool space from the Reds in exchange for minor league first baseman Nick Longhi, as per a Sox press release.  In a separate deal, Boston also acquired more pool space from the Cardinals in exchange for minor league infielders Imeldo Diaz and Stanley Espinal.  Specific financial terms weren’t announced for either trade.

The Sox made a big splash as the 2017-18 international signing period opened this morning, agreeing to deals with highly-touted prospects Daniel Flores, Danny Diaz and Antoni Flores for a combined $6.1MM in bonuses.  Since the Red Sox had only $4.75MM available to spend in their draft pool, some trading was necessary to bring in the extra funds for these youngsters, as well as any other less-splashy international signings the Sox may make.  Teams are allowed to acquire as much as 75 percent of their original draft pool, which works out to $3,562,500 in Boston’s case.

Longhi was rated as Boston’s 14th-best minor leaguer by the 2017 Baseball America Prospect Handbook, which described Longhi as “one of the best pure hitters in the Red Sox system” despite a lack of power.  Longhi has six of his 16 career homers as a professional this season at Double-A, with a .262/.306/.401 overall batting line in 252 PA.  The 21-year-old was originally a 30th-round pick for the Sox in the 2013 amateur draft.

Both Espinal and Diaz have appeared in just seven games each this season, all for Boston’s low A-ball affiliate in Lowell.  Espinal, a 20-year-old third baseman out of the Dominican Republic, has a .682 OPS over 577 pro plate appearances.  The 19-year-old Diaz also hasn’t shown much at the plate in his brief career, hitting .222/.279/.258 over 522 PA.

The Cardinals had $5.75MM and the Reds $5.25MM in available pool money for this July 2 class, though both teams are under the $300K limit since both exceeded their bonus pools in the 2016-17 signing period.  It stands to reason that St. Louis and Cincinnati felt comfortable dealing their pool money since they didn’t plan on using all of it given their limited signing capabilities.  It wouldn’t be a surprise if other teams facing the $300K penalty (the Astros, A’s, Cubs, Padres, Royals, Braves, Giants, Dodgers and Nationals) also deal some from their bonus pool funds in the coming weeks and months.

Reds Notes: Feldman, Greene

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As a serviceable, affordable free agent-to-be who’s on a rebuilding team, Reds right-hander Scott Feldman should theoretically be a trade candidate at this time of the year. But it’s possible the Reds will opt to keep Feldman as a way to benefit their other pitchers, according to Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Retaining Feldman would help the Reds avoid risking the arms and psyches of some of their young starters who might not be ready for the majors, suggests Buchanan, who notes that his presence also helps preserve the bullpen. Feldman has lasted at least six frames in eight of 17 starts, and he easily leads the Reds’ woeful rotation in innings (97) and ERA (3.78). He has also accounted for 1.6 fWAR, while the remainder of the Reds’ starters have combined for minus-2.8. “We are lucky to have him,” said manager Bryan Price. “To really look at our season and say what’s been the really one, from a rotational standpoint, the one constant, and it’s been the quality of Scott Feldman.”

  • The Reds’ first-round pick, right-hander Hunter Greene, will head to Cincinnati in the coming days to take a physical, reports Buchanan. That seems to bode well for the Reds’ chances of signing Greene, the second overall pick, by the July 7 deadline. The 17-year-old is likely seeking the richest deal in the 2017 class, relays Buchanan. So far, that honor belongs to No. 4 selection Brendan McKay, whom the Rays gave a record $7,007,500 earlier this week.

Reds Activate Zack Cozart; “Mutual Interest” In Exploring Extension

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The Reds activated shortstop Zack Cozart from the 10-day DL today, as had been expected. While that seemingly removes any remaining obstacles to a trade involving the pending free agent, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that it’s also possible the club could first pursue long-term contract talks.

“I know there’s mutual interest in the future with Zack,” president of baseball operations Dick Williams said. “Maybe we can figure out a way to make that happen.” While that comment perhaps left some ambiguity as to whether near-term extension talks were truly being contemplated, Williams went on to say that “we need to at least initiate some discussions now” given that Cozart will be fielding offers in free agency once the season is over.

Cozart, who’ll turn 32 later this season, said recently that he would have interest in remaining with the only MLB organization he has played for beyond the current campaign. Clearly, then, both team and player are amenable to exploring a new contract. But that hasn’t yet occurred, Williams tells Buchanan.

While talks of some kind now seem likely, a new contract still appears to be a bit of a longshot. Cozart has played extremely well this year while earning an affordable $5.325MM salary, enhancing his appeal to the incumbent team but also increasing his future earning power and trade value. For the rebuilding Reds, cashing in Cozart’s next three or four months for prospects — which seems all the more plausible with the Diamondbacks and Nationals losing their regular shortstops to injury — holds obvious appeal.

While Williams says the organization values the presence of the veteran shortstop, he has also overseen a series of deals in recent years that brought in interesting and youthful middle-infield options. Eugenio Suarez, Jose Peraza, and Dilson Herrera are all at or near the MLB level. While Suarez has lined up at third, it’s worth bearing in mind that the organization also has premium hot corner prospect Nick Senzel on the fast track to the majors.

In the aggregate, there’s an argument to be made that the Reds shouldn’t have much real interest in pursuing an extension with Cozart. But the team could see if he’s willing to take something of a hometown discount and hope that the roster is ready to begin contending in the near-term. (Improvements in the pitching staff will likely be required for that to occur.)

Of course, it’s only fair to note that a plausible extension scenario also functions to enhance the Reds’ trade leverage to some extent. Interestingly, Williams also noted that he has yet to field calls from other clubs looking into a possible deal for Cozart, though that’s sure to change over the coming weeks. Even if Cozart is dealt, the good vibes could conceivably lead to a reunion via free agency. The veteran’s ultimate market value will obviously depend upon his performance down the stretch and the level of need around the game come this fall.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/29/17

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We’ll track Thursday’s minor moves here as they arise…

  • Right-hander Jake Buchanan has rejected an outright assignment and elected free agency, the Reds announced. Buchanan was designated for assignment earlier this week and cleared outright waivers. The 27-year-old surrendered 13 earned runs on 24 hits and seven walks with only four strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings with Cincinnati this season. Though he’s worked as a reliever for most of his brief Major League career, which has been split between the Astros, Cubs and Reds, Buchanan has been primarily a starter in the minors. Through 439 innings at the Triple-A level, he’s worked to a 4.41 ERA with 5.9 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9.

Deadline Notes: Red Sox, Giants, Relievers, Torres, Verlander, Cozart, Cabrera

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The Red Sox do not need to stay under the luxury tax line in making their deadline moves, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in an appearance today on WEEI (h/t to Rob Bradford, on Twitter). Recent estimates put Boston about $9MM shy of the threshold, which has added implications under the new CBA since the tax escalates when it is owed in consecutive seasons. While the Sox will no doubt weigh that factor in assessing possible trades, it’s notable that the organization doesn’t feel compelled to stay within those limits. Boston is likely to be involved in the market for third basemen — I looked at possible targets recently — and could also add pitching.

Here’s more …

  • The Giants are clearly in position to deal a few veterans, but it’s not yet known just how significant the moves will be. Signs are, though, that San Francisco is willing to listen to offers on just about any player, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi writes. The Giants are not interested in moving Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, and Brandon Crawford, per the report. That could leave some other interesting names available, with Morosi even suggesting that first baseman Brandon Belt could be available. He calls the Angels a potentially “intriguing fit” — though it’s not clear whether there’s any firm interest from Los Angeles — while noting that several other buyers will be looking at a variety of left-handed-hitting first basemen on what seems still to be a wide-open market.
  • Unsurprisingly, interest in relief pitching will be robust at this year’s deadline, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com writes. Executives suggest that there’ll be a premium on pen arms, as usual, though the expectation remains that none will fetch the kind of immense returns that Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller commanded last year.
  • The Padres have inquired with the Yankees about elite shortstop prospect Gleyber Torres, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. That said, there’s no indication the Yanks have any interest in parting with the talented youngster — even though he is expected to miss the remainder of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That injury doesn’t really change his long-term value, of course, and it’s not altogether clear what Padres players the Yankees might target that could command that kind of trade value. Lefty Brad Hand and former New York infielder Yangervis Solarte may well be of interest, as Heyman notes, but it’s tough to imagine the Yankees parting with such an elite prospect for either or both of them.
  • Heyman also weighs in on veteran Tigers hurler Justin Verlander, who has seen his name begin to come up in trade rumors. At this point, a deal seems less than likely, a source tells Heyman, but there is a real possibility that the righty (and his contract — which promises $56MM over 2018 and 2019) could end up on the move. Three or four teams are said to have participated in exploratory talks on Verlander, per the report, though any deal would require Verlander to waive his no-trade protection.
  • Reds shortstop Zack Cozart, a clear trade candidate with his strong play and expiring contract, tells Heyman that his preference would be to remain in Cincinnati. While he says he understands and accepts that a deal “is more than likely to happen,” Cozart noted that he has informed the front office that he’d be amenable to exploring a long-term contract instead. It’s not terribly surprising, particularly given their internal options, that the Reds haven’t yet made an offer to the 31-year-old.
  • Mets infielder Asdrubal Cabrera is walking back his recent call to be traded after being moved from short to second, as Dan Martin of the New York Post writes. Cabrera explains: “In that moment when I said that, I wasn’t saying I want to get traded. I was just saying it didn’t seem like they had a plan for me. … If they’ve got a plan, they should tell me.” He went on to say that he is “fine with playing second base,” saying that his complaint related more to a lack of communication. In any event, it remains unclear just how much demand there’ll be for the veteran, and also how inclined the Mets are to bring him back next year at a $8.5MM price tag (versus a $2MM buyout).
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