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Say goodbye to Homer's mediocre arm talent and $23 million salary!

Well that is certainly one way to create some excitement for the franchise.

More details on the trade...

Quote:The Los Angeles Dodgers completed a major trade Friday that would save a significant amount of money for 2019 and clear some surplus from their major league roster.

Starting pitcher Alex Wood, outfielders Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig and backup catcher Kyle Farmer are headed to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for the bloated contract of struggling starting pitcher Homer Bailey and two prospects, both teams announced.

The Dodgers will also be sending $7 million to the Reds as part of the trade, according to reports. The prospects headed to Los Angeles are shortstop Jeter Downs, who was a first-round pick (No. 32) in the 2017 draft, and right-handed pitcher Josiah Gray, a second-round pick (No. 72) this past summer who turned 21 on Friday.

In the deal, the Dodgers will save roughly $15 million off their luxury tax payroll for 2019 and will clear enough room in their outfield to potentially pursue free agent Bryce Harper or other targets.

Puig, Kemp, Wood and Bailey can all be free agents after the 2019 season.

Bailey -- owed $23 million in 2019 and counting $17.5 million toward the luxury tax, which uses the average annual value on contracts -- waived his 10-and-5 rights to join the Dodgers and is expected to be released, according to reports. He went 1-14 for the last-place Reds last season and had a 6.25 ERA in 46 starts for them over the past four years.

Reds catcher Tucker Banhart reacted to the trade with a one-word tweet: "Woah."

"We're not done," Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said. "We still have resources to make this team better."

Puig, the bombastic right fielder who has been the subject of trade rumors for several years, is projected to make about $11 million in his final year of arbitration and will be reunited with Turner Ward, his beloved hitting coach with the Dodgers who was hired by Cincinnati for the same role last month.

Puig, 28, hasn't lived up to the promise he flashed as a rookie, but has still batted .264/.337/.490 in 277 games the last two years and remains capable of playing Gold Glove-caliber defense.

Kemp, 34, resurrected his career in his return to the Dodgers in 2018, making the All-Star team and finishing with a 121 adjusted OPS despite fading in the second half.

Wood, a 27-year-old left-hander, has gone 25-10 with a 3.20 ERA in 304 innings with the Dodgers the past two years but was demoted to an undefined bullpen role down the stretch in 2018. Farmer, 28, hit .250 in 59 games for the Dodgers the last two years.

Downs, ranked seventh in the Reds' system by MLB.com, hit .257 with 13 home runs in A-ball in 2018 while also stealing 37 bases in 47 attempts. Gray, ranked 20th, had a 2.58 ERA in 12 starts in rookie ball at Greeneville.

Big Time Trade

(12-21-2018 05:17 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(12-21-2018 05:00 PM)RealDeal Wrote:  Puig and Alex Wood coming to the Reds. Love it.

HOLY FREEGIN SHAT!!!!! YESSSSSS!!!!! PINCH ME!!! HELL, SLAP ME A FEW TIMES!

This....is.....amazing.

Nice! I'm still going to holdnmy breath till it translates on the field. But it is refreshing to see one of the pro franchises in town to at least appear to give a sh#t. Our 1 through 8 looks pretty solid.

(12-21-2018 08:18 PM)jarr Wrote:  Nice! I'm still going to holdnmy breath till it translates on the field. But it is refreshing to see one of the pro franchises in town to at least appear to give a sh#t. Our 1 through 8 looks pretty solid.

Reds have always cared they just screwed up the fallout after the 2012 post season and dug themselves a big hole.

(12-21-2018 08:18 PM)jarr Wrote:  Nice! I'm still going to holdnmy breath till it translates on the field. But it is refreshing to see one of the pro franchises in town to at least appear to give a sh#t. Our 1 through 8 looks pretty solid.

That's my take in terms of the Reds are trying to make a splash. Trying to put more butts in seats and at the same time improving the competitiveness of the ballclub - even if most of these guys are one year rentals. I'm really intrigued to see Puig inserted in this lineup with a hitting coach he loves and within the friendly confines of GABP. Annnnnd, we still kept Winker! DAYUM....

(12-21-2018 09:01 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

That lineup looks great, but that outfield is a big concern. They should be serviceable in Great American Smallpark, but I could see issues coming up with some of the bigger outfields.

(12-21-2018 09:06 PM)RuckleSt Wrote:  

(12-21-2018 09:01 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

That lineup looks great, but that outfield is a big concern. They should be serviceable in Great American Smallpark, but I could see issues coming up with some of the bigger outfields.

No one is going to cover ground like Billy did but Kemp and Puig on the offensive side are going to give you professional at bats. I really like Kemp's veteran presence to go along with Joey V and Puig's energy and enthusiasm to go along with ScoooooTUR should be something. I also like the L/R combinations instead of the heavy L sided lineup. It still comes down to pitching though when it's all said and done and that remains a work in progress but Wood gives another veteran arm. Remember, the Reds aren't done yet....

My take on it is that they really want to be competitive for the upcoming 150th anniversary season, so they brought them in for a couple quality minor leaguers who won't be major league ready for 3-4 seasons. The players they got from the Dodgers can all contribute immediately, but are all on one year deals so they can shed about $30 million in payroll after 2019 and yet still keep the core of the top minor league players intact to finish the rebuild in the next few years with use of that money then available to round out the team at that time.

I wonder if the Reds have felt added pressure with FC breaking ground on the new stadium and starting their first MLS season this Spring? If FC puts out a winning club and the Reds were to continue losing 90+ a year, all of us bandwagon Cincy fans will naturally gravitate to the winner (and I'm not even a soccer fan).

(12-21-2018 10:54 PM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  My take on it is that they really want to be competitive for the upcoming 150th anniversary season, so they brought them in for a couple quality minor leaguers who won't be major league ready for 3-4 seasons. The players they got from the Dodgers can all contribute immediately, but are all on one year deals so they can shed about $30 million in payroll after 2019 and yet still keep the core of the top minor league players intact to finish the rebuild in the next few years with use of that money then available to round out the team at that time.

I don't know if the anniversary played into it or the increased competition from FCC for the entertainment dollar but I just think they needed to be a more competitive team. The Bailey/Kemp part of the deal is just exchanging bad contracts; Kemp had a huge first half last year but fell off in the second half. I don't expect much from him. Alex Wood is a good pitcher and Puig is a good RF whose numbers will probably increase going from a pitchers park to a hitters park. We gave up two low level prospects to do it. These guys were recent high draft picks so they could end up being players but it's definitely a risk worth taking. Worst case is Wood and Puig walk after a year and you've lost a couple prospects but you'll still have higher prospects and money to spend. Best case is Wood or Puig become long term fits and resign. The risk is definitely worth the potential downside.

I still believe the key in all of this, including the fact that GM Williams said the "Reds aren't done yet," is not prying the Kung Fu grip off of Winker. This guy was really taking his hitting to another level right before his season ending injury. If we can make all of these moves and still retain him then that is HUGE IMO.

if we stand pat after this i'd be fine. i imagine we'd score at least seven runs a game so pitching won't really matter

(12-22-2018 09:28 AM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  I still believe the key in all of this, including the fact that GM Williams said the "Reds aren't done yet," is not prying the Kung Fu grip off of Winker. This guy was really taking his hitting to another level right before his season ending injury. If we can make all of these moves and still retain him then that is HUGE IMO.

Just guessing, but I think Winker is probably the prime chip the Reds would prefer to utilize in the next big trade (paging Cleveland) rather than Senzel or Trammell or any high end pitching prospects. They'll definitely hold on to Puig, imo, and it sounds like they are planning on keeping Kemp too since he has probably negative value given his salary. I'm torn, but you've got to give to get and Winker probably makes the most sense to deal unless you think he's going to continue to develop power.


LOVE the deal btw.

Any trade involving Home boy is addition by subtraction. Yeesh.

I root for both the Indians and Reds and would like to see Kluber come to the Reds (If the Tribe is dealing him, bring him here). To have an ace like Kluber for the next 3 years for a very good deal for a Cy Young caliber pitcher, would be great. I'd be more than willing to deal one of the top prospects plus some others (I don't know that I'd move both top guys, but maybe if it was only those 2, maybe). You have to go big to get a proven guy like Kluber.

I honestly think the Reds could be at least in the playoff conversation if they can sign an ace starter that can be counted on every 5 days. The lineup is going to be pretty good and Kluber gives you an Ace every 5 days, plus some experience and swagger to help the others. I think Wood can be a nice starter and if others take a step up, the staff could be solid and with that offense, it could be all they need.