Reds trade pitchers Mat Latos and Alfredo Simon in separate deals
SAN DIEGO — The Cincinnati Reds decided it was time for a few changes, dismantling their starting rotation Thursday, as the MLB Winter Meetings came to a close.
In separate deals, the Reds traded Mat Latos and Alfredo Simon, acquiring a handful of young players in return from the Marlins and Tigers.
• Latos, the bigger coup of the two, is headed to the Miami Marlins, in a deal that was first reported by Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The return to the Reds is Anthony DeSclafini and Chad Wallach. DeSclafini, a pitcher, is the Marlins’ sixth-ranked prospect heading into 2015, according to Baseball Prospectus. Chad Wallach, a catcher, is the son of Tim Wallach. He’s 23 and played in Single-A last season.
• Simon, 33, is going to the Tigers, filling the gap left when they traded Rick Porcello to the Red Sox on Thursday. The Reds get shortstop Eugenio Suarez, who played 85 games in 2014 as a rookie, and pitcher Jonathon Crawford, who pitched in Single-A last season.
The Reds reportedly needed to shed payroll, as they hope to lock up their ace, Johnny Cueto, to a long-term deal. He’ll be a free agent after the 2015 season (as will Latos). Many teams tried to get Cueto from the Reds this week, but Cincinnati wasn’t interested in that.
Latos, though, is a solid pickup for the Marlins. At age 27, he has a career 3.34 ERA and is coming off a down year because of injuries. He’ll help bridge the gap until ace Jose Fernandez returns from Tommy John surgery, and Latos gives the Marlins an experienced starter to go along with their youngsters.
On the other hand, Simon might not be what he was in 2014 — at least, according to the numbers. He was an All-Star and finished the season with 15 wins and a 3.44 ERA. However, he had a rough second half, with a 4.52 ERA after the All-Star break, compared to 2.70 before it. He’ll be a fourth or fifth starter in Detroit.
The Reds were one of those teams that needed to figure out if it was going to reshuffle and get younger. As we’ve seen from the Phillies, waiting around and not pulling the trigger can only hurt you in the long run. So, in that respect, it’s good that the Reds figured out their plan.
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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
