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Nate Schierholtz: Big In Japan, Back In MLB

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After eight straight years in the majors, outfielder Nate Schierholtz found himself in an unfamiliar situation last spring.  The veteran outfielder inked a minor league deal with the Rangers in February 2015 and, roughly seven weeks later, he opted out of the pact when he learned that he would not make the cut.  When baseball’s game of musical chairs left Schierholtz without a quality MLB opportunity, the veteran decided to go out of his comfort zone and hemisphere by signing with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Nate Schierholtz (vertical)

“It was definitely an interesting experience and I learned a lot.  I enjoyed living with the Japanese culture and learning some of their ways and values.  The fans are very kind to the American foreign players and it was a great experience,” Schierholtz told MLBTR in Lakeland, Florida before the Tigers’ contest against the Pirates.

Schierholtz didn’t know much about the NPB before heading over there, but he quickly discovered that the Hiroshima Carp enjoy rockstar status in Japan.

“We were a very popular team, we sold out with 35,000 people every day that season.  Our support was like no other team’s there, even during road games.  It was neat to see fans stand up and cheer for three hours straight without sitting down.  They had a couple of chants for every player too.  Mine was ’Nate-O,’ because that’s what they called me.  The whole stadium would chant ’Home Run Nate-O!’ every time I was at bat because that’s all they want to see from the American players,” the outfielder said.

Schierholtz, of course, isn’t a huge home run hitter, but he did oblige the fans’ request on ten occasions.  In 248 plate appearances, Schierholtz slashed .250/.298/.435 while playing hard-nosed defense in the outfield.  After re-establishing himself, the veteran had multiple non-guaranteed MLB opportunities for the 2016 season.  This time around, he knew that his best bet was to sign early on in the offseason.

“I had a little bit of a different strategy from last offseason.  I waited and waited and waited and I kind of got in a bad situation last Spring Training [with the Rangers] as far as opportunity goes, so I just wanted to sign with a team that wanted me there.  I felt like [the Tigers’] track record of being a successful team really appealed to me.  I think, at my age, my goal is to get back to the playoffs. I had so much fun back in San Francisco winning that World Series, that’s kind of what motivates me now.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Steve Cishek On Signing With Mariners

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On Monday afternoon, the Mariners formally announced that they have reached agreement with reliever Steve Cishek on a two-year deal.  The pact, reportedly worth $10MM combined between 2016 and 2017, will help replenish a bullpen that has lost former temporary closers Tom Wilhelmsen, Carson Smith, and Danny Farquhar.  On a conference call with reporters just minutes ago, GM Jerry Dipoto confirmed that Cishek will be the Mariners’ closer in 2016.  For Cishek, that was pivotal as he shopped the open market.  I asked the veteran if he had other offers to pitch in the ninth inning.

Steve Cishek

“There were a couple other teams [with significant interest], but not too many closing opportunities out there.  For me, Seattle was the No. 1 place I wanted to go when I heard that they wanted me to be their closer,” Cishek said.

Until today, Cishek spent his entire career in the National League, but he has gotten to play at Safeco Field in the past.  His previous time spent in Seattle also played into his interest in signing with the M’s.

“When I was here, I loved the city and the stadium.  It was gorgeous.  I was able to confirm all of that again when I did the physical here a couple of days ago,” Cishek said.  “When my agent called me, he said that there are a couple of offers are on the table, but one in particular is really interesting.  He said the Mariners are looking for a closer and I said, ’Tell me more! Tell me more!’  I wanted to return to the back end of the bullpen and that’s something that I didn’t get to do too much in St. Louis because their bullpen was amazing.”

The addition of Cishek might not mark the end of the Mariners’ bullpen revamp, Dipoto says, but the signing will probably be the end of the team’s “heavy lifting” when it comes to relievers.  Dipoto fully expects Cishek and Charlie Furbush to hold down the back end of the bullpen and that’s cause for excitement from Cishek’s perspective.

Photo courtesy of Seattle Mariners Baseball Information department.

Johnny Cueto’s Agent On Cardinals, Market

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The Winter Meetings in Nashville are nearly through and many of the open market’s starting pitchers have found their homes for 2016 and beyond.  However, one of this class’s very best, Johnny Cueto, is still searching for his big payday.  Cueto is a bona fide ace with years of experience at the head of the Reds’ rotation, but a number of his expected suitors have already allocated major funds towards the top of the starting five.  Even though some might have the impression that Cueto’s market is shrinking, agent Bryce Dixon told MLB Trade Rumors in a 1-on-1 interview that he doesn’t see things that way.

“You can always add an ace pitcher to your staff.  All thirty teams can use a Cueto,” Dixon told MLBTR on Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee. “So, yeah, there are teams like the Diamondbacks that have added a [Zack] Greinke and a [Shelby] Miller, so maybe their appetite for him has lessened but, no, I don’t view the market as shrinking up.  I’m still finding interest and there still seems to be enough out there for him to land comfortably with a team.”

So far, Cueto has yet to receive an offer that clearly separates him from the second tier of starting pitchers and Dixon says that he is comfortable in waiting.  A few weeks ago, Cueto’s camp was handed a sizable offer from the Diamondbacks, one that was worth $126MM over six years, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (on Twitter).  Some observers suggested that the offer was a strong one given Cueto’s second half issues and 50/50 showing in the postseason, but Dixon says that he did not discuss the offer at length with the pitcher before they turned it down.

Dixon concedes that the Diamondbacks are one club that does not have a clear fit for Cueto at this stage, but, on paper, the Cardinals do stand out as a team that would have the need and the resources required to sign the veteran.  Still, some outsiders have suggested that unpleasant history between the two sides could get in the way of a union.  In 2010, the Reds and Cardinals got into a brawl and, in one exchange, Cueto kicked catcher Jason LaRue in the head while wearing spikes.  The impact of the kick left LaRue with concussion issues that forced him to retire at the end of the 2010 season.  The brawl may still be fresh in the minds of some Cardinals fans, but the Cardinals organization has not brought up the incident in their talks with Cueto’s camp.

“I can’t speak to how the Cardinals feel. ..Obviously [Johnny] regrets how the fight went down,” Dixon told MLB Trade Rumors on Wednesday afternoon.  “He’s expressed regret over it in the past.  He loves pitching in the NL Central.  He’s the best pitcher of our era in the NL Central.  It would be a good marriage [between] Johnny and the Cardinals.  I think once the fans got past the fight and they saw what a gamer Johnny is and what he could bring to the team, I think they would be able to embrace him now, though I don’t think that they’ll do that overnight.”

Dixon went on to explain that the circumstances of the brawl were complicated.  Cueto was pushed up against the screen and, feeling trapped, he made a split-second reaction that he deeply regrets.  For a time, the fight may have defined him as someone who is angry or violent, but those who work with and around Cueto, he says, can attest to his mellow character and positive attitude.  Ultimately, Dixon can see the Cardinals being a great landing spot for his client.

“Johnny’s best friend is Brayan Pena (Pena signed a two-year deal with St. Louis this winter).  Johnny would love to pitch to him and a catcher like [Yadier] Molina, so I think it would be a good fit.  Whether the Cardinals step up with the necessary resources, that remains to be seen.  But he has no problem towards the Cardinals and the manager of that [2010 Cardinals] team [Tony La Russa] is with the Diamondbacks organization now.  He came down and met Johnny and they had no problem.  It’s in the past.  It’s unfortunate that it happened, but, on our side, we’ve moved on,” said Dixon.

Dixon could see Cueto forming a strong rotation alongside Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, and Carlos Martinez, but he could also envision his client looking good in Dodger blue next to Clayton Kershaw in L.A.’s rotation.  Those are just two of the fits that Dixon can see for Cueto at this stage and he’s still willing to wait for what he feels is an appropriate pact.  When asked to put a timetable on a Cueto signing, Dixon indicated that it could happen in a matter of minutes or a matter of weeks.  One option he’s not considering at this time, however, is a one-year pillow deal to allow Cueto to cash in next winter.

“I don’t think we’re going to have to go down that road.  We’ll remain flexible but I don’t anticipate something like that,” he said.

Scott Boras On Span, Wieters, Kennedy, Chen

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In what has become an annual tradition at the Winter Meetings, agent Scott Boras held court for all of the reporters in attendance.  MLB Trade Rumors was on hand for the scrum and we’ve got a few of the highlights below:

  • One reporter asked if Boras would be willing to consider a one-year deal for free agent outfielder Denard Span.  Boras flatly rejected that notion and said that he will be gunning for a multi-year contract.  Marc Carig of Newsday (via Twitter) hears from some in the industry that feel Span may have to settle for a one-year deal with incentives due to health concerns.
  • Boras was asked about the decision for Matt Wieters to accept the qualifying offer from the Orioles and he explained that the catcher’s free agent market would have been bogged down too much by the draft pick forfeiture had he tried it.  When asked by MLBTR why he and Ian Kennedy opted to reject the QO, Boras quipped, “Well, someone told me this pitching market was going to be advanced.  I think it was pretty obvious to us at the time that the decision was going to be what it is.”
  • I asked Boras about the market for starter Wei-Yin Chen, who stands as one of the strongest remaining starters available.  Boras characterized his market as “great” and made a fun, agent-slanted case for his client.  “The last two years his ERA is lower against AL East teams than David Price, so that tells you how good a pitcher he is,” Boras said.
  • I also asked Boras about reliever Greg Holland and his unique situation in free agency.  Boras confirmed the widely expected notion that Holland will seek out a two-year deal and he says that “a number” of teams with interest in that type of deal have spoken to him about such a pact.  Boras also said that Holland could return to action in time for the 2016 postseason.  From the outside, one has to wonder if Holland will be able to rebound that quickly after undergoing Tommy John surgery in late September.

Giants GM Bobby Evans On Fowler, Maeda, Soria

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After missing out on their top pitching target this winter, the Giants knew that they had to act fast in order to shore up their rotation.  When Diamondbacks acted completely sub rosa and shocked the world by landing Zack Greinke, the Giants quickly pivoted to Jeff Samardzija, giving him a five-year, $90MM deal.  Even though the deal carries an average annual value of $18MM, Giants GM Bobby Evans tells MLB Trade Rumors that there’s still potentially enough in the coffers to make another impact signing at a similar level.

“There’s flexibility, yes,” Evans told MLBTR. “I think [last year] we didn’t go as far on multi-year deals and we did shorter term deals.  It does give you some flexibility this time around.”

Right now, Evans is looking to allocate some of those funds towards the left field position.  The Giants GM indicated that he has talked with reps for Dexter Fowler and Gerardo Parra this week, but, he also went on to say that he has been in touch with “almost everyone on the outfield market.”  The idea of flexibility goes beyond payroll for Evans as the Giants refuse to lock in on a limited group of left field candidates.

While left field is a priority for Evans, the bullpen is admittedly “on the back burner.”  The Giants were long connected to veteran reliever Joakim Soria, but Evans explained that he was not especially desperate to sign him because of his confidence in the current ’pen and the minor league depth backing it up.  Without taking anything away from Soria, who signed for $25MM over three seasons, Evans explained that it was “too early” in the offseason for the Giants to allocate money towards relievers.  In other words, Evans & Co. have bigger fish to fry before they get to fortifying the late innings.

As it turns out, that big fish could be a Carp.  Evans confirmed that the club is having internal discussions about Japanese star Kenta Maeda, who was formally posted on Tuesday.  Factoring in the expected $20MM posting fee that it will take to have an audience with the right-hander, the total outlay for him could be $80MM or more.  Suffice it to say, a flirtation with Maeda while also adequately filling the left field vacancy could really test the limits of the Giants’ budget.

Phillies GM Matt Klentak On Bourjos, Offseason

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On Wednesday, the Phillies claimed center fielder Peter Bourjos off waivers, reuniting him with GM Matt Klentak.  Klentak, of course, was a longtime assistant GM with the Angels, the organization that drafted and developed Bourjos.  Having that background knowledge of Bourjos factored into Klentak’s decision to claim him from the Cardinals, but in a conference call with reporters, the exec pointed out that it has been a while since they were in the same building.

“[The familiarity] factored in for sure, probably most notably because I think very highly of Peter Bourjos the person and that is something that I’ve been talking about since I first started here six weeks ago, which is the importance of building an environment,” Klentak said when asked by MLBTR.  “I happen to have first-hand knowledge of knowing Peter, knowing what a great human being he is, and how he fits into a roster.  From my perspective, yes, my history with him was important, but I haven’t been with him for the last few years he was in St. Louis, so we’re relying on the information that we have here at our disposal.”

By adding Bourjos to the fold, the Phillies have bolstered an outfield mix that already includes Odubel Herrera, Cody Asche, and youngster Aaron Altherr.  One might wonder then if veteran free agent Jeff Francoeur is the odd man out.  Klentak declined to say if he’s actively having dialogue with Francoeur’s agent, but he did make it clear that the team is not ruling out a reunion with the soon-to-be 32-year-old.

“I wouldn’t say the addition of Bourjos takes us us out on any player.  We’re still going to be open minded and we still have spots on our roster.  I don’t think claiming Bourjos and adding him precludes us necessarily,” said Klentak.

It will be interesting to see exactly what the Phillies can get out of Bourjos, who has yet to replicate his breakout 2011 campaign with the Halos.  Klentak mused that his struggles could have been caused by his troublesome hip, the development of Mike Trout ahead of him in Anaheim, his position in St. Louis alongside an already strong outfield, or a combo of the three.  Whatever the reason for his stumbles, Klentak is hopeful that the Phillies can get him back to his old form.

Royals GM Dayton Moore Talks Zobrist Trade

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Dayton Moore pulled off a major acquisition when he landed ace Johnny Cueto from the Reds on Sunday, but he didn’t rest on his laurels after that trade.  Today, he finalized another major deal when he acquired versatile veteran Ben Zobrist from the A’s.  Earlier today, I asked the Royals GM if he was under a mandate from ownership to go for broke this summer and make major moves.

“We always have a mandate to put the best team on the field,” Moore told reporters on the conference call.  “Certainly the play of our team and how our players have responded gives us more motivation to make moves, but we’ve always tried to do whatever could at the deadline to make our team better for the second half, even when we weren’t competing.”

While Cueto came to K.C. before Zobrist, the GM explained that talks with Oakland actually started before the discussions with Cincinnati. There are still a few days to go until the trade deadline but Moore doesn’t expect to make another blockbuster deal between now and Friday.  Like a responsible Christmas shopper, it appears that Moore has avoided the rush to get the top shelf prizes.  Interestingly, however, he says the timing of it all was happenstance.

“You’ll have to speak with [Reds GM] Walt [Jocketty] and [A’s GM] Billy [Beane], but for me, they were just satisfied with the package that was offered,” said Moore.  “I don’t think anybody is gonna execute a deal unless they’re as satisfied as they can be.  When we enter into these types of discussions for a player we want we are very aggressive.  We have a good idea of what we want and what we want to provide as far as the package goes and what they desire…No sense in stringing things out and creating unnecessary tension.  If you know at the end of the day that you’re going to get to a certain place, you might as well get there.”

Zobrist is expected to join his new teammates “in a day or two,” and when he gets in the mix, he’ll be slotted in left field rather than second base, where he’ll be filling in for the currently injured Alex Gordon.  There’s plenty of work ahead for Zobrist, Cueto, and the Royals, but it sounds like their GM is done with the heavy lifting for the week.

Ben Cherington On Shane Victorino, Rusney Castillo

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Earlier this evening, the Red Sox and the Angels reached agreement on a deal to send Shane Victorino and cash considerations out west in exchange for infielder Josh Rutledge.  In a conference call with reporters, Red Sox Executive Vice President/GM Ben Cherington explained that the talks started only in the last few days.

“The deal kind of came together over the weekend,” Cherington said. “I talked to Shane this afternoon during batting practice about it…He’s been a part of a lot of great moments, not just for the Red Sox, but throughout his career.”

The deal was not an easy one for Cherington to make and it has brought about some mixed emotions for the Flyin’ Hawaiian.  Victorino expressed to Cherington that he’s happy to have an opportunity to join up with a contender and play meaningful games down the stretch.  On the other hand, the veteran feels that his time in Boston marked a very important part of his career and he is sad to leave his Red Sox teammates behind.

Baseball-wise, the deal opens up space on the Red Sox’s roster, allowing them to get a good look at international signee Rusney Castillo.  While Cherington wouldn’t quantify how much that played a role in the Victorino trade, he said that it was “certainly” a consideration.  However, there aren’t any immediate plans to make a similar move to accommodate Jackie Bradley Jr.

“Jackie is doing well. There’s merit and consideration in trying to get some opportunities for him too, but today it’s Castillo.  We’ll see where it goes after that,” said the GM.

As for Rutledge, Cherington confessed that he has had interest in the infielder “going back to his Colorado days.”  With Dustin Pedroia on the DL, the 26-year-old figures to see a good amount of playing time the rest of the way.  If he does well, Cherington says he can envision him “being a part of the team going forward.”

Outside of today’s transaction, Cherington kept mum about other possible dealings this week.  When asked about the level of interest he’s received in Mike Napoli, he effectively gave a no comment.  When another reporter inquired on what’s next, Cherington tersely replied, “[There’s] nothing to announce and nothing is particularly close.”

Q&A With MLB Draft Prospect Scott Kingery

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The 2015 MLB Draft begins on Monday, June 8th and runs until Wednesday, June 10th.  In anticipation of the draft, MLBTR caught up with University of Arizona second baseman Scott Kingery, one of the most highly regarded players in this year’s class.

Tomorrow night, Arizona second baseman Scott Kingery will be waiting to hear his name called from Secaucus, New Jersey.  Just three years ago, few could have imagined that Kingery would be in line to be a Day 1 draft pick or to even get drafted at all.  Kingery was a very solid player coming out of Phoenix, Arizona’s Mountain Pointe High School, but he was overlooked by schools largely because he was only 5’7″ tall.

Kingery arrived at the University of Arizona as a walk-on, made the team, and started really making a name for himself in his sophomore year.  An awful lot has changed over the last three years – not just Kingery’s stature.  Today, he is rated as the No. 25 draft prospect in the country by ESPN.com’s Keith Law, No. 40 by Baseball America, and No. 42 by Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com.  Kingery took some time out of his busy schedule late last week to chat with MLB Trade Rumors about his career at Arizona, his draft stock, and his MLB future.

Zach Links: It’s pretty rare to see a college walk-on go on to become a top draft prospect. In 2012, did you think you’d be in this position today?

Scott Kingery: Definitely not. That’s not something that I had in mind going into my freshman year, especially as a walk-on player. I didn’t have a spot on the roster yet for sure, so at that point, I was just trying to find a spot on the team.

It was pretty late in the summer when an assistant coach came down to watch me play in a tournament. They offered me a recruited walk-on spot, which means that you have a place on the fall roster but nothing is guaranteed for the spring roster. So, I wasn’t thinking about the majors at all at that point.

ZL: Did you consider taking scholarship offers from other schools, whether it was D-I or D-II?

SK: I was committed to going to a junior college in Arizona, but other than that, I didn’t have any D-I, D-II, or D-III offers for baseball.  So, it was pretty much go to junior college or just take my chances at Arizona.

ZL: You turned the corner in a big way from your freshman year to your sophomore year. What changed for you?

SK: I think each year you play in the Pac-12 you just get a little bit more confident.  I gained experience and I learned a lot.  I think in your first year as a freshman you come in and don’t know what to expect.  The level of play from high school to college increases so much. But, I learned more and more each year and built off of that.

ZL: Your double play partner, Kevin Newman, is considered to be one of the very best draft prospects in this year’s class. Did you feel like you’ve pushed each other over the years to excel?

SK: Yeah, when I was in the outfield the first few years I didn’t spent that much time with him.  Now I’m at second base and we push each other and that helps us play better.  This year he become one of my roommates and that’s when I realized how truly competitive we are with each other.  Literally everything is a competition between us.

ZL: How does that competitive spirit between the two of you manifest itself off the field?

SK: If it’s video games, we’re competing.  One night we were mini golfing and it got intense.  We started even having competitions in the weight room and seeing who could get to school the fastest.

ZL: You played second base while at Arizona but there has been talk of your skills translating to shortstop.  Could you see yourself playing shortstop at the big league level? How comfortable are you at shortstop?

SK: Since I haven’t been there in a few years, I think it would take some getting used to again. But that was my home all through high school.  College is the only time I haven’t played there really…I think I could definitely play shortstop.  I think a lot of teams want to see me try that out, too.  If it doesn’t work, they can always throw me back to second base.

ZL: Do you have a preference between playing shortstop or second base?

SK: I’ve always loved playing shortstop more but playing second base isn’t too bad either.

ZL: Why do you like playing shortstop more?

SK: I don’t know why, but that’s just always been where I’ve been the most comfortable.  I grew up playing that position and I just want to get back over there.  When you’re at shortstop you feel like you’re kind of in the head role, kind of captain on the field.  I’d like to get back to that.

ZL: There always seems to be skepticism surrounding shorter players, even when they’ve proven their ability time and time again like you have. Do you feel like any concern about you being under 6-feet tall is overblown?

SK: At this point, I don’t think that’s gonna come into play, but that was definitely one of the big reasons why I didn’t get a scholarship offer out of high school.  I was 5’7″, 150 pounds heading into college so I think everyone saw that small stature and they didn’t want to take a chance.  Now, I think I’ve proven myself over multiple years so I don’t think that my small stature matters much.  Also, I’m 5’10.5″ now and I’ve put on 25 or 30 pounds, so it’s a different story.

ZL: What are you hearing about where you might get drafted?

SK: It’s kind of all over the place, but I’ve been hearing and reading that it could be somewhere in the No. 20-50 range.  Hopefully I’ll get drafted towards the top of that, but, we’ll see.  Anything can happen.

ZL: What do you think sets you apart from other middle infielders in this class?

SK: I’ve proven that I can hit at multiple levels.  I did it in college and I did it in the Cape Cod league.  That, along with my speed, sets me apart.  I’ve shown that I can create havoc on the basepaths with my speed and my bat really just improved each year at Arizona.  I also got even more comfortable with my range this year and I made things happen on defense as well.

ZL: What’s the main thing you want to work on?

SK: I want to work on my footwork at second base because that can always get better.  I also want to make sure that I stay aggressive at second base.  It’s a short throw so sometimes you can find yourself getting complacent and sitting back on a ball rather than getting the right hop.  I like to be aggressive and get right to the ball.

ZL: Last summer in the Cape Cod League, you showed that you can still rake with a wooden bat. Do you sense that has helped your draft stock somewhat?

SK: Definitely. The top players in college are in the Cape Cod league so going there, facing that pitching, and putting up some good numbers really shows the scouts that I have a good swing and that it doesn’t matter if I’m swinging wood or metal.

ZL: Everyone loves to compare draft prospects to current players.  What major league player would you say that your skill set is similar to?

SK:  I’d say I’m something like Ian Kinsler, with a little bit more speed.

ZL: What are your plans for draft night?

SK: I’m just going to have some friends and family over.  We’ll be watching on TV with everyone else, waiting to see what happens.

Reds Pitcher Making Ends Meet With Second Job

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When you think of the lifestyle of a professional baseball player, you think of big houses and Olympic-sized swimming pools.  You rarely think of those players building pools in someone’s backyard.  Reds pitcher Josh Smith has had to do just that to make ends meet as he chases his big league dream.

Players taken in the early rounds of the draft typically get sizable signing bonuses and don’t have to moonlight at a second job.  Smith’s journey to the minors, however, was decidedly different.

The right-hander cut his teeth at Lipscomb University as the No. 2 pitcher in the rotation next to ace Rex Brothers.  Brothers, the Friday night pitcher, would go out and throw in front of scores of major league scouts.  By Saturday, when Smith would take the mound, the scouts were off to check out their next prospect.  Smith may not have had the same upside as Brothers, but he was a very strong pitcher in his own right and deserved far more attention from scouts, in the estimation of agent Alex Esteban.  Brothers became a first round selection of the Rockies while Smith wound being selected in the 21st round by Cincinnati in 2010.  Brothers got a signing bonus just shy of seven figures upon signing his deal.  Smith got roughly $1K.

Bonuses for later round picks are extremely low and the minors don’t pay very well from year-to-year either.  Smith, who earns less than $10K per year in salary, quickly figured out that he needed to take on a full-time job in the offseason.  Longtime pitching coach Tracy Valentine, a former minor leaguer himself, also ran a pool construction business and had a need for a physically strong employee who could haul bulky, cumbersome bags of cement from the truck to backyards.  That position, while greatly appreciated by the pitcher, didn’t give Smith the hours or pay that he needed to make ends meet.

“I don’t need side cash,” Smith told Valentine. “I need a job.”

With that, Smith began actually building the pools and earning a bit more cash.  To line his pockets further, Smith also helped coach some of Valentine’s pupils, including Diamondbacks 2014 first-round choice Touki Toussaint.

“He came to us when he was like 14 or 15 and I was like, ’Who is this kid?,’” Smith said. “Back then he was a shortstop and I asked him if he ever thought about pitching and he said no. I told him, if you ever change your mind, let me know. I told him that he needed to be a pitcher because he had a cannon.”

Smith still helps to guide young arms and build pools in the offseason, even though he has reached Triple-A and is knocking on the door of the Reds’ major league roster.  His particular offseason job might be unique, but it’s a lifestyle that is not at all uncommon for minor leaguers, Smith says.

“My old college teammate Caleb Joseph is in the bigs now with the Orioles, but when he was in the minors, he would come home and work at the local country club as a caddy and a waiter.  Some guys do construction, some work in restaurants.  Everyone does what they need to do in the offseason to make ends meet,” Smith explained.

In April, it became evident that Smith’s hard work both on and off the field was paying off as the Reds called him up to the majors.

“My manager, Delino DeShields, called me and said, ’Pack your stuff, you’re meeting the Reds in Chicago.’  I didn’t believe him, but he told me he’d never pull a joke like that and that he wished he could see my face when I heard the news,” Smith said. “I was actually playing Call Of Duty with a bunch of my Louisville teammates and I told them on the headsets that I had to go and get myself packed.”

“The funny thing is,” Esteban added. “He was playing with like 100 other teenagers who had no idea what any of them were talking about.”

When Smith landed in Chicago, Esteban was there to pick him up from the airport and drive him to meet the team.  The right-hander had a million things going through his mind on his way to the hotel.  What’s it going to be like to pitch in a big league game?  How will I adjust to playing in front of tens of thousands of people in the stands?  But, there was one pressing concern that stood out above the others.

“I was wondering,” Smith said to Esteban. “Do you think they’ll put me in the video game?”

Unfortunately, Smith didn’t make it into the video game or the actual game during that stint.  The Reds sent Smith back down to the minors after the three-game set in Chicago without having thrown a pitch.  Still, the experience was a milestone for the 27-year-old and he knows that he’ll get another opportunity when the Reds are in need of a long reliever or spot starter.  Once he gets to the majors and sticks on the roster, he could wind up with a big swimming pool to call his own.

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