The Cincinnati Reds are making all kinds of moves today. No more than 30 minutes after announcing that they had traded Tyler Mahle to the Minnesota Twins for a trio of top prospects, the Reds also traded infielder Brandon Drury. He’s heading to San Diego to join up with Juan Soto and company. Cincinnati will be acquiring shortstop Victor Acosta in the deal.

Brandon Drury signed with the Cincinnati Reds on March 21st. He is making the league minimum. Late start to spring, not making much money (by comparison to his peers), and none of that mattered. Drury took full advantage of the opportunity given to him and the 29-year-old went out and was the best hitter for the Reds to this point in the season. In his 92 games he hit .274/.445/.520 with a team best 22 doubles, 20 home runs, and .855 OPS.

Drury had this to say, according to Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer: “The Padres have a great team. Looking forward to trying to win a ring.”

Looking forward to trying to win a ring. Ouch. But hey, it’s great for Drury to land in a place that is going all-out to try and win baseball games.

Victor Acosta was one of the top players in the 2021 international signing class and inked a bonus of $1,800,000 with the Padres in January of last year. He is currently rated as the #11 prospect in the Padres system by Baseball America, though that farm system has lost a handful of prospects today thanks to their trades (Acosta was rated 11th before the day began).

This season Victor Acosta has spent his season at the complex level out in Arizona with the Padres. The 18-year-ols has hit .243/.346/.360 with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 16 walks, and 30 strikeouts in 131 plate appearances over his 32 games played. He’s got all of the tools you want to see, can remain at shortstop, and he’s a switch hitter. With that said, he’s still very far from the majors and hasn’t made it out of rookie-ball yet, so anything could happen along the way in his development. He’s a lottery ticket, but it’s a lottery ticket that has a high payout if you win.

You can see Victor Acosta’s career stats here.

Doug Gray is the owner of RedsMinorLeagues.com, Redleg Nation, and as you guessed it, passionate about the great sport of baseball. He's been writing about baseball since 2006 (contributions formerly at The Athletic and currently at Baseball America). You can keep tabs with him on twitter @dougdirt24.

The reds knocked it out of the park with Drury. Sign him for 900k, have him put up an all star caliber half of a season, and flip him for a high upside player who had just signed with the Padres as an international free agent for 1.8 million. Believe he was up to 5th in the Padres system after the Soto trade but top 10 before.

Don’t think there’s another system in the league that can put together a better group of minor leaguers age 20 and under right now

Yes, Krall certainly did well with the Drury sign and trade.

Can ownership or management be traded? I’m so sick of the BS. I know not every team can have a payroll like the Dodgers or Yankees, but you do have to spend. It’s a fact. This is making me want Marge Schott back. What a mess

You really don’t understa d what they’ve done here

What have they done? Trading for prospects isn’t exactly new especially for the Reds. It’s the same “small market” approach they have followed for 30 years. Nothing new here.

What they have done appears to be drastically different from the failed 2015 rebuild. Then they held on to players far too long and the traded for “MLB ready” prospects. This time they traded when value was high for a significantly better group of prospects, who although are mostly A/AA players have more potential.

Yes it’s a business but this GM is to much like ole Bill DeWitt ! He turned the reds into a first class triple A team. This might be Votto’s last year.

I do understand what they’ve done. They shipped off quality players because they don’t want to pay them. They are hiding behind the façade of “rebuilding” because the Castillini’s don’t want to put money into the team.

They payroll right now is peanuts and it will be even less once Votto is gone in a year or two. They could have very easily afforded to extend Castillo or Mahle yet they claim “rebuild” and hide behind it…and fans like you eat up “prospects”. Wake up.

This is a poverty franchise with poverty owners.

Do you know what Mahle and Castillo were asking for in extensions? If you do please share it with us, because it was reported the Reds did try to extend Castillo. These long term deals rarely work out well. Look at how angry people are with the Votto contract and he earned every dollar of that contract prior to his decline

I would also love to see the financials of the Reds to see if as many insinuate, that Castellini is just raking in profits from the Reds and keeping it all for himself. I really don’t believe that Bob is becoming a billionaire off the Reds. I do believe he has meddled into the team making it worse than it should be and is partly to blame for the current dumpster fire.

So this whole thing is just about money? I understand it’s a multi billion dollar business but we just traded arguably our best hitter and decent glove for the #11 ranked minor league in the Padres org…a guy who hasn’t made it out of rookie ball and may never make it to the majors for all we know. At some point the rebuilding has to be about keeping your assets on your roster and not just grabbing money anytime you have the opportunity.

He’s only 18, hold your horses for a couple years!

Doug, I’d love your view on this. I know that Krall is currently on the SS position, but does the extreme focus on SS and infield prospects in the last month (draft +trades) feel prudent or extreme to you? Won’t we run out of minor league teams to play them on?

SS and CF are usually the best athletes and can move around to any position. If there’s any non pitcher spots you want to load up on it’s them

ss typically can switch any where other than catcher/pitcher most major (right handed) league players were a SS at some point in their careers

They aren’t collecting shortstops or middle infielders. They are collecting athletes.

Krall has done an excellent job fulfilling the club goal of becoming more athletic set 3 or so years back.

Credit where credit is due.

Drury bought a lotto ticket when he signed with the Reds.

And he’s free from a miserable organization.

Yes and good luck to him.

Definately pull for SD and Sea this fall

Wow Johnny. Did someone spit in your Cheerios?

The misery might be sunsetting.

Class guy and will miss him. Met him in South Bend when he played in the Diamondbacks system. Silverhawks. He was great with my son when he stood on the field at SS with him.

Hate to see Drury go but at least he’ll have an opportunity to at the very least win. I thought the whole point of cleaning house in the off season was to rebuild but I see now it was all just BS as usual

This is a gamble but getting a #11 prospect for someone that the Reds signed at the beginning of this year for the minimum. I like this gamble. Even if this player doesn’t reach the majors, I like this trade. Maybe the Reds can sign him next year (I don’t think so)! I am a little disappointed in the Mahle trade. Hopefully one of the guys will be decent and reach the majors.

Are there any middle infield prospects left on the pacific coast side? I think the Bull collected them all.

He’s due for an episode of Hoarders on cable …

No first basemen/catcher/outfielder in any of these trades!

They have a catcher. They can pluck a backup in free agency Any of these prospects can move to the OF

Christian Encarnacion-Strand has split time between High-A Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita this year. In 74 games with Cedar Rapids he hit .296/.370/.599 with 23 doubles and 20 home runs. In his 13 games since moving up to Double-A he’s hit .333/.400/.685 with another two doubles and five home home runs. The 22-year-old has plus-plus raw power and he’s been able to really show off his power in games. Defensively he’s at third now but could wind up having to move to first base.

Strand is listed as a 3B/1B.

Marte is widely expected to be moved from SS, perhaps to the OF.

And as VA Red aptly points out, any of the SSs would most likely be able to transition to the OF.

We supposedly just picked up catcher Austin Romine from St Louis

You have to wonder what Votto is thinking? This definitively ends any hope he ever has of playing in a World Series with the Cincinnati Reds.

I’m surprised CD can’t see the difference between this rebuild and the last couple.

The Reds have 6 or 7 really good players who are under team control for 3 or more years. Since June they have added a really good intl class that includes a kid hitting over. 400 who was not one of the big 3 in the class. They have a draft that is considered an A+ despite picking 18th. And now they have added 10 high end prospects who were chosen because it is believed all can be really good in the next few years… not because they are “major league ready”.

None of the 4 traded were going to be here in 2024 or later when the Reds could begin to be really good… not Just try to slip into the last wild card which is a dead end and everybody should know it.

It’s as obvious as a nose on a face. I don’t get the griping either. Today marks a new beginning with a big bold line to separate the old from the new. Honestly what was there to lose?

My advice is get the MiLB package, it’s cheap and it should be fun to watch the kids develop.

Exactly. Being disappointed in your favorite club’s fate as a small market team with very, very serious ownership issues isn’t the same as evaluating a rebuild, which he (CD) undoubtedly knows. The reasons behind rebuilds are the issue(s). And those are a sad day for baseball. Wealthy teams are gorging themselves.

The only viable path for our beloved Reds is the one Tampa takes. Next step pay top dollar for player development and talent evaluators.

Greenfield makes some excellent points but what you’re failing to discuss is that if any of those prospects have any success at all they’ll just get sold for more money and more prospects. It’s a never ending cycle with the current ownership and mgmt. I’m beyond frustrated at this point and you should be too

I’m sure he knew there was no chance following last season when the payroll “realignment” began. If Votto thought going into this year the Reds would be contenders he needs a mental evaluation

What does it matter he drafts a catcher in the 2nd round every year

I’m glad for the prospects the reds got, but I wished everyone would read chad Dodson article,as a lifelong reds fan it’s really hard to see them trade their best players year after year,if any of these pan out they’ll just be traded for future prospects, that’s what they do

So true, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown – Lucy/Reds always pullsthe football away

“Hey with Castillo, Mahle, Greene, Lodolo and Ashcraft we have a pretty strong pitching staff. Let’s spend some money, pick up a closer, a couple of bats and let’s go!”

But no the Reds have us conditioned to say

“Let’s trade our two best pitchers and we might have a chance to make a run two or three years from now, if all goes well, which it never does.

I love how everyone is saying what a great plan the Reds have now. The only plan the Reds have to is keep payroll low and keep raking in the TV money and revenue sharing.

Honestly, have you forgotten how a few short months ago, the Reds CFO told us all to go pound sand?

This is separate from Phil’s abhorrent remarks. IMO, he should have been fired. It was an insult to the fans snd Reds community.

But. It takes more strength and determination to make massive changes such as this than to sit on our hands and ‘maybe this, maybe that’ forward. I would have loved to watch Castillo for the next several years. But that ship sailed months ago. So at least they did something with a full commitment. Finally.

Wayne, please read a few lines above. It was discussed. CD should know better

agree Wayne. Chad Dodson is must read for Reds fans. I find this bittersweet as a Reds fan. Chad sums it up well in saying and I’m paraphrasing – “I’m a fan of the Cincinnati Reds, not the Dayton Dragons or Chattanooga Lookouts!”.

Thankfully I have RLN and its many marvelous posters and Doug’s other site redsminorleagues.com to stay involved with the pipeline so I don’t slit my wrists over my favorite major league team.

Revised line-up posted (until the Solano trade is announced).

Senzel moves up to 2nd and Farm Dawg to 3rd.

Could be interesting to watch pending other updates.

The Reds should be good for the next few years at shortstop. Let’s just call every position “shortstop” and we are covered.

Krall isn’t collecting Short Stops, nor is he collecting middle infielders.

Krall is collecting *athletes.*. And this was an objective beginning three years or so back, realizing the Reds truly needed to become more athletic.

I sense Doug’s Top 25 becoming 30 or 40 soon.

What if those “athletes ” don’t make it, or perform at another position. Then what

Then we’ll still be bottom feeders like we are, today. However, we’ll know our front office tried to get us out of it rather than pretending our bad team wasn’t as bad as it really is.

It’s no different than any other prospect, and always has been.

Think of it as having a litter of pet opossums. One reason they have several offspring is because so many fail to survive busy roads, as they stare into headlights. The species only advances based on the numbers game.

Otherwise, it’s be having a pet elephant.

Jim Bowden used to collect”5-tool” outfielders and Krall collects shortst.

Need to hurry and flip Solano for Donny Sands in Philly’s system and we have our backup catcher next season

I’m happy with the return for Drury, I’m guessing the team couldn’t reach an extension with him. With all of our trades, we’re likely to see a former Red or two in the WS.

Krall said earlier that there were no discussions with Drury on an extension

I read the quote “not on the table as of right now.” Maybe there was more to the quote live, but to me that doesn’t say it wasn’t earlier, or couldn’t become a possibility, just that it wasn’t right now. If you don’t inquire at all, that would be almost criminal.

Jim Bowden tweeted the Nats and Reds have the done best job at selling at the deadline anyone has seen in the modern era.

The coup de grace would be trading Phil to the Montreal Expos.

Agree completely. Finally a smart Reds FO that committed to a two year rebuild able to compete in ’24, instead of a six year rebuild starting in ’24.

I don’t really care anymore. A plan now for this front office, what can we get for our future superstars? No good future players for this organization will will stay more than 3 years.

ALLTHEHYPE , do you seriously believe this team will compete in 2024? I mean Seriously?

Greene, Lodolo, Ashcraft, and DIaz in their 3rd year. I think that will make this team competitive.

Well that settles it. Jim Bowden has never been known to overstate things has he?

Solano and Farmer still in the lineup, so I guessing no last minute deals with them.

Unconfirmed but I just heard that Bull traded an Oak desk from Phil’s office for a barrel of acorns.

hoping the chair was included, get that clown out of here. Bring DW back as the ownership representative – much more polished and his Dad owns significant share of the franchise.

Acosta a 5 tool player. Reds are stockpiling athletes. I like all these moves.

Only 5 SB’s in 12 attempts. Kid’s got a lot of maturing to do.

Victor Acosta is a great pickup for 2 months of journeyman signing Drury IMO. He signed for $1.8M in the 2020 INTL class and was ranked #19 overall. #13 overall Padres Prospect by MLB before the trade deadline, #13 by FG, #4 by prospects1500!!

Basically signed for about the same as Ariel Almonte who was our top signing in 2021. $1.8M is the slot value for the #43 draft pick in the 2022 class. Sal Start signed for just over $2M.

Slash line is .269/.401/.439 in 2 years. No clue about his D but typically has a lot of errors at SS so far. SO/BB ratio very good at about 1.39. Switch hitter.

No clue who this guy is but he had him ranked #1 Fantasy Prospect in all of MLB under 18. https://twitter.com/RotoClegg/status/1476728325171208196?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1476728325171208196%7Ctwgr%5Ee814766e586a743620215d246e7bd199843c3ba6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.prospects1500.com%2Fnl-west%2Fpadres%2Fsan-diego-padres-top-50-prospects-2022%2F

Alo FWIW was higher ranked than the final prospect the Nationals gave up for Juan Soto

So basically we got a highly ranked INTL signing for about $300K who has thus far show he was worth the $1.8M he signed for…not bad. PPL asking this need to do their homework…

Curt Casalli traded to the Reds’ parent club, Seattle (props to the genius who termed the Mariners our parent club).

Reds acquire Romine from Cards for cash.

Goodness this will help. The catching has been semi-pathetic

I like this trade. Reds picked up Drury for basically nothing and were able to manufacture a good looking, young, prospect out of the deal in just a few months. Similar to Naquin situation. Reds are certainly adding to the quality of their minor league program, especially the infield.

I totally sympathize with those who agonize over trading away some of our best players who you think should form the core of a good competitive team…if only we can sign them to an extension (like Barnhart) or a semi-long term low cost contract (like Suarez). But, you only get to keep them for a couple years longer, then they have no trade value (I believe Winker was the sought after in the Mariners deal not Suarez). And if they do become really good, they price themselves out of a small market club (like Votto, we really could only afford 1 25 million dollar player). We could up the payroll…but we’ll never be able to outbid NY or LA (or Padres, Boston and a few others). I don’t think we could have signed extensions for Castillo or Mahle, their agents wouldn’t advise it.

I’m heartened by all the praise for Krall…it hasn’t always been there…I hope its still there in a year or two.

Acknowledging that some guys won’t turn out the way we hope, and also that other factors will play a role (injuries, trades, etc), it’s fun to think about how 2024 could look and where guys will play. For this thought experiment I’ll include a group of guys that are currently performing well in High A or have reached AA or above already.

This group includes Senzel, Stephenson, India, Barrero, Friedl, Steer, EDLC, McLain, Cerda, Siani, McGarry, Johnson, Encarncion-Strand, Marte, Quintana, Vellojin, and Hopkins. (Maybe Hinds too, but he’s gotta stay on the field). Obviously not all those guys can be on the team at the same time, and some are more likely than others.

My first question is who plays SS? Plenty of good options available between EDLC, Marte, and Barrero. I do think Barrero may be the best defender of the group. If he ends up being the lightest hitter of the group then it makes sense to glean value from the defensive side as much as possible. A top level defender at SS with real power potential, the Reds could do a lot worse.

So, then where do EDLC and Marte play? Possibilities are 3B, 2B, DH, OF. Some of this may depend on where others play. I believe both are athletes who can move around. Since they have a lot of flexibility let’s slot in others with less versatility.

That brings me to India. He’s not been particularly adept at 2B in the field. He came up a 3B, and that’s an option. It will have competition from Steer, EDLC, and Marte. India appears to have solid speed, so could he play a corner OF? About 60% of his errors have been the throwing variety, but I think range is also a factor as his below average defense at 2B. Where to play India will be an interesting puzzle to solve.

McLain likewise will be interesting. 2B may be his most natural spot, but he does have time in the OF from college. Honestly, (and we once thought Senzel could be this type of player) I kind of see him as a Zobrist type of multi-positional player who moves around and has solid defense wherever he plays but also hits well enough to keep as a regular in the lineup.

Steer, I see as a 3B, DH, or 1B with the other options we have. He just won’t be a better option at 2B or SS than others. Encarnacion-Strand is 1B or DH.

Another thing to consider is that Senzel, Barrero, Marte, Steer, Encarnacion-Strand, McLain, Stephenson, and India are all RHH. EDLC is a switch hitter while McGarry and Vellojin are LHH (which may play out for bench roles).

With that said, here’s what I would like to imagine: C: Stephenson, Vellojin 1B: Encarncion-Strand, McGarry 2B: McLain, Johnson SS: Barrero 3B: Marte LF: India, Friedl CF: Senzel RF: EDLC DH: Steer

Just for fun. India and McLain can probably be switched. Maybe Marte DH’s and Steer plays 3B. But it’s nice to think about how it’ll all work out. Guys will rotate through DH and field positions to give everyone a break. McGarry and Vellojin help balance the handedness of our positional players.

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