Again in early July, when the Reds had been 41-45 and only a few video games out of the NL Wild Card race, membership GM Brad Meador prompt that the membership was not but able to commit to a technique for this yr’s commerce deadline. Flash ahead to as we speak, and fallen to a document of 47-53 after getting swept by the Nationals popping out of the All-Star break. It seems that latest efficiency might have been sufficient for the membership to formally set course, as Jon Morosi of MLB Community experiences that the membership has begun to tell rival golf equipment that they’re keen to half with gamers on expiring contracts.
It’s hardly a shock that Cincinnati would restrict any sell-off to rental items. In spite of everything, the membership has an thrilling core of younger expertise led by star shortstop Elly De La Cruz and right-hander Hunter Greene that figures to maintain the Reds within the playoff dialog within the coming years, and this season has been difficult by accidents to key items corresponding to Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, TJ Friedl, Brandon Williamson, and Graham Ashcraft. By sustaining that core of gamers in addition to veteran items underneath longer-term management corresponding to Jonathan India and Jeimer Candelario, the Reds can stay pretty nicely positioned to load again up for the 2025 marketing campaign this winter and make one other try at returning to rivalry.
The Reds’ checklist of pending free brokers is a comparatively brief one, however it nonetheless has some attention-grabbing names. Proper-hander Frankie Montas, whose $20MM mutual possibility for 2025 is all however sure to be declined, is maybe the participant with probably the most title recognition that the membership may look to maneuver. Righty Nick Martinez has a $12MM participant possibility for 2025 and may be made out there, whereas outfielder Austin Slater (who the Reds acquired from San Francisco simply two weeks in the past), lefty Justin Wilson, and right-handers Buck Farmer and Lucas Sims will every see their contracts run out at season’s finish.
In response to Morosi, the Orioles are among the many golf equipment to have curiosity in Cincinnati’s rental pitchers, together with Montas and Martinez. The match between Baltimore and both of these two items is considerably apparent, because the Orioles have misplaced starters Kyle Bradish, John Means, and Tyler Wells to season-ending surgical procedure this yr. That’s left them to place collectively a patchwork rotation stuffed out by Dean Kremer and Albert Suarez behind front-end duo Corbin Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez. At the very least yet one more playoff-caliber starter would make loads of sense for the Orioles, and they’d doubtless profit from including extra depth past that as nicely.
Whether or not Montas, 31, constitutes a playoff-caliber starter at this level in his profession is up for debate. The righty has struggled badly with the Reds in 89 innings (18 begins) this yr, posting a 4.85 ERA and 5.04 FIP that are each roughly 15% worse than league common. Whereas Montas has allowed three runs or fewer in 12 of his 18 begins this yr, blow-up begins have been a reasonably frequent prevalence for the righty, together with a mixed 12 runs allowed in 11 2/3 innings in his final two begins in opposition to the Nationals and Rockies.
Bleak as his latest efficiency has been, Montas isn’t far faraway from a stretch of mid-rotation success with the A’s from 2018 to 2022 the place he posted 3.70 ERA and three.61 FIP in 99 appearances. With that being mentioned, it could actually’t be ignored that Montas underwent shoulder surgical procedure again in February of final yr. Since his return from going underneath the knife, his peripherals are these of a very totally different pitcher. He’s struck out simply 18.7% of batters confronted after coming into 2023 with a profession 24.3% strikeout price, and after permitting free passes to simply 7.8% of opponents by means of the top of the 2022 season he’s watched his stroll price balloon to 10% since present process surgical procedure. Even with these flaws, nevertheless, Montas’s monitor document as a high quality mid-rotation arm may nonetheless actually appeal to curiosity from pitching-hungry suitors.
Martinez, nevertheless, may show to be the higher match for the Orioles’ wants. The correct-hander has discovered a distinct segment as top-of-the-line swingmen within the recreation over the previous three seasons with San Diego and Cincinnati, and this season the 33-year-old boasts a stable 3.88 ERA with a good stronger 3.15 FIP. Whereas his 18.9% stroll price isn’t something to write down dwelling about, he’s restricted walks to a clip of simply 3% this yr whereas surrendering simply six dwelling runs in 72 innings of labor. Martinez has been used primarily in reduction this yr, though he made 5 begins for the Reds early within the season and demonstrated the power to maneuver between the rotation and bullpen with relative ease throughout his time in San Diego. The veteran righty would supply the Orioles pitching depth for each the bullpen and rotation down the stretch, presumably understanding of the rotation for the rest of the common season earlier than transferring into the bullpen throughout the playoffs.
After all, Baltimore is much from the one membership that could possibly be attention-grabbing within the Reds’ out there leases. The Dodgers, Astros, Pink Sox, and Padres are among the many different groups identified to be out there for beginning pitching, whereas just about each contender is usually on the prowl for rental bullpen assist this time of yr and will have curiosity in both Martinez in a reduction position or a rental bullpen arm like Wilson, Farmer, or Sims.
