- Even though the Blue Jays have undergone a regime change since they tried to acquire first baseman Joey Votto from the Reds last summer, talks could restart if Toronto loses both Encarnacion and Bautista in free agency. Cincinnati would also have to eat some of the $192MM left on Votto’s contract to make a deal possible, according to Cafardo. Votto, a Toronto native, is enjoying yet another brilliant season, having slashed .315/.433/.525 with 23 homers in 589 plate appearances.
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Reds Rumors
Alfredo Simon Done For Season
- Reds righty Alfredo Simon will undergo arthroscopic shoulder surgery Tuesday, tweets Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. That ends a miserable campaign for Simon, who posted a 9.36 ERA, 5.98 K/9 and 4.76 BB/9 in 58 2/3 innings. Simon was a highly productive member of the Reds’ pitching staff from 2012-14, when he combined for a 3.16 ERA, 6.16 K/9 and 2.71 BB/9 in 345 frames and even earned an All-Star appearance, but he began falling off last year with the Tigers. The Reds, who acquired infielder Eugenio Suarez from Detroit for Simon in December 2014, brought the 35-year-old back in March on a $2MM salary. He’ll once again hit free agency during the upcoming offseason.
Where Can Jose Peraza Fit With Reds?
- It is time for the Reds to clear room for Jose Peraza in the daily lineup, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer opines. Peraza has impressed of late with the bat, and manager Bryan Price says that “it’s just a matter of finding his best spot and where he best serves the team.” Rosecrans discusses the defensive possibilities, now and in 2017, for the speedy youngster.
Reds Had Competition For Vladimir Gutierrez
- Just-signed righty Vladimir Gutierrez was also pursued by several other clubs before agreeing with the Reds, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports (Twitter links). The Rangers and Astros were the two primary pursuers who were willing to strike a deal right now, but three other organizations tried to convince the Cuban youngster to wait until the following July 2 signing period to put pen to paper. Meanwhile, Cinci GM Dick Williams says that the club likely won’t be making any other big-dollar signings in the near term.
Reds Sign Cuban Right-Hander Vladimir Gutierrez
SEPTEMBER 7: The signing is now official, per C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter).
AUGUST 30: The Reds have agreed to sign highly regarded right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez for a bonus of $4.75MM, reports Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald (via Twitter). The 20-year-old Cuban righty will count against Cincinnati’s international bonus pool, which they’ve already vastly exceeded with their $7MM deal with Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez. As such, Gutierrez will come with a 100 percent luxury tax, effectively making this a $9.5MM expenditure for the Reds.
At last check, earlier this month, Gutierrez’s camp was weighing a number of options, including pitching in Japan and waiting until next year’s international signing period to embark on his minor league career. However, he’ll now add a well-regarded arm to a rebuilding Reds system, joining countryman and defensive standout Rodriguez as a co-headliner of Cincinnati’s international signings this period.
Gutierrez was initially cleared as a free agent last summer, but some lackluster showings in front of big league scouts caused his stock to dip over the winter. That, however, changed at a mid-March showcase, per Baseball America’s Ben Badler, when Gutierrez’s strong showing restored a good deal of his prospect status. Badler has since written that Gutierrez’s heater checks in at 92-94 mph and pairs nicely with a “hammer” curve around 80 mph, though he needs further refinement in terms of fastball command and a third pitch. Following that up, Badler tweeted just today that Gutierrez has recently been up to 97 mph with his fastball while also showing a plus curve. MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez rated Gutierrez fourth behind Kevin Maitan, Adrian Morejon and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on his ranking of the 2016-17 international free agents, noting that while he projects as a starting pitcher, some scouts also believe he could have a quicker timeline to the Majors and make an impact as a high-leverage late-inning reliever as well.
Cincinnati, of course, has had its share of success in dipping into the Cuban market for high-upside arms, enjoying success with the likes of Aroldis Chapman and Raisel Iglesias. However, both Chapman and Iglesias signed at a considerably later stage in their careers. Gutierrez will have a lengthier path to the Majors and will be subject to the standard pre-arbitration pay scale and six full seasons of control for the Reds upon reaching the big leagues. His numbers in a brief Serie Nacional career in Cuba were solid, albeit not overwhelming; in 118 1/3 innings, Gutierrez logged a 3.27 ERA with 7.1 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9. Of course, he’s come quite a ways in his development since that time, as his last work in Cuba’s top league came when he was still just 18 years of age.
Billy Hamilton Dealing With Oblique Injury
- Billy Hamilton will likely make it back this year for the Reds after suffering a strained left oblique, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. Still, though, he won’t resume any baseball activities for five to seven days, and seems likely to be out at least some time beyond that as the out-of-contention Reds play things safe with their speedy center fielder. The silver lining here may be that Cinci will find it easier to plug versatile prospect Jose Peraza into the lineup. He has been on a tear since his most recent big league promotion, and seems in need of regular time as the organization assesses its offseason plans.
Jay Bruce Clarifies Report On His Trade Deadline Preferences
Slugging outfielder Jay Bruce was finally traded this summer after over a year of speculation, ultimately going from the Reds to the Mets. Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News suggested recently that Bruce had asked not to be shipped to New York before the deadline. But the veteran clarified today that he had never made such a request, as Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily reports.
In fact, says Bruce, Cincinnati asked him “very early in the process” if he had a preference on a trade destination. He explains that he provided his long-time organization a list of three teams — the Giants, Rangers, and Dodgers — that he would have preferred due to “personal ties” to those locales.
While he might have liked to land elsewhere, Bruce says that he was more than happy to join the Mets. “I got a chance to come play in a playoff race and I’m so happy to be here,” he said. “Things get misconstrued. Yes, New York was not on my list initially, that’s really all there is to it. Definitely wasn’t as comfortable with New York as I was the other places, but I’m happy to be here and we’re doing exactly what I hoped to do when I got here.”
It’s worth remembering that Bruce did have limited no-trade protection. He obviously wasn’t all that troubled by the idea of going to the Mets, as they were not among the eight teams to which he could block a trade. (For what it’s worth, the Yankees were on that list.) It’s important to bear in mind that players often have multi-faceted reasons for preferring certain organizations — whether in settling on a no-trade list, communicating with their current organization, or navigating free agency — potentially including personal preferences, family constraints, and considerations of contract leverage.
In Bruce’s case, it certainly seems as if he was most interested in playing for a winning organization, as his comments suggest. After all, earlier this summer, he made clear he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a move to a contending team.
Jay Bruce Asked Reds To Not Trade Him To Mets
- When Jay Bruce learned he was going to be dealt, the outfielder asked the Reds to trade him “anywhere but New York,” Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News writes. No specific reason was given for Bruce’s reported misgivings about joining the Mets. Bruce has, in fact, badly struggled since joining the Mets in a deadline deal, entering today with only a .198/.270/.327 slash line and three homers over 111 plate appearances.
Billy Hamilton Leaves Game With Oblique Injury
- Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton exited today’s game with the Cardinals after suffering a left oblique strain during the third inning. The severity of the injury isn’t known, as while Reds manager Bryan Price told reporters (including Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that Hamilton will likely be out of action for a few games, oblique injuries generally take much longer to heal. Jose Peraza is the Reds’ top center field option while Hamilton recovers. It’s not out of the question that Hamilton will miss the rest of the season, which would bring a disappointing end to a campaign that saw Hamilton (.260/.321/.343) post career highs in batting average and OBP over 460 plate appearances, while stealing a league-leading 58 bases.
Reds Outright Kyle Waldrop To Triple-A
- Reds outfielder Kyle Waldrop has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Louisville, according to a club announcement. Cincinnati designated Waldrop for assignment Friday. Since the Reds picked him in the 12th round of the 2010 draft, Waldrop has collected only 26 major plate appearances. Nearly all of his time, including the majority of 2016, has been spent in the minors. The 24-year-old, who shares a name with a former Twins pitcher, has hit a less-than-stellar .254/.302/.365 in 351 plate appearances with Louisville this season.
