Cincinnati Reds: A closer look at the Adam Duvall trade

Let’s take a closer look at what the Cincinnati Reds got in return for trading Adam Duvall to the Atlanta Braves.

As many of you may know, the Cincinnati Reds traded Adam Duvall late Monday night to the Atlanta Braves. The Redlegs received three players in return, outfielder Preston Tucker, pitcher Matt Wisler, and the centerpiece in most people’s minds, right-hander Lucas Sims. Let’s take a closer look at these guys as they make their way to the Reds organization.

Preston Tucker. Let’s start with Preston Tucker. Tucker is a 28-year-old outfielder that has already joined the team for their two-game series in Detroit. He attended the University of Florida and was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 7th round in 2012.

Tucker was later traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2017. He appeared in 62 games with the Braves this season. In those 62 games, he has 4 home runs, 10 doubles and is hitting .256 with a .307 OBP. An interesting note here is that Tucker currently has a higher average and on-base percentage than Adam Duvall. Although, the power numbers are much less. I would expect to see Tucker worked into an outfield spot and be a viable option off the bench.

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Matt Wisler. Onto the 25-year-old right-hander pitcher Matt Wisler, who was drafted out of high school in the seventh round by the San Diego Padres in 2011. Wisler was traded by the Padres to the Atlanta Braves in 2015, where he has appeared in several games over the past 3 seasons.

Wisler was very successful as he worked his way through the minor leagues, posting a sub 3.00 ERA in A-Ball as well as Double-A. When he got to Triple-A Gwinett, that’s where the inconsistency began to occur.

Wisler has worked his way up as a starting pitcher and had some excellent outings. Much like current Reds pitchers Robert Stephenson and Cody Reed, consistency is the main issue here. In 3 seasons of relief appearances and starts for the Atlanta Braves, he has posted a 5.27 ERA in 72 games, 49 of those being starts. It’s unclear whether the Reds view him as a starter or someone that can come out of the bullpen, but I would imagine he will get his opportunity to start for Triple-A Louisville.

Lucas Sims. Now onto the main piece in this deal for the Cincinnati Reds, Lucas Sims. The 24-year-old right-handed pitcher that was taken 21st overall in the 2012 MLB Draft. Sims has had one impressive minor league career, posting a 3.75 ERA in the minor leagues in 2017. He also had an exceptional year in Triple-A this season, posting a 2.84 ERA in 15 games.

Sims strikeout-to-walk ratio at Triple-A Gwinett this season is 84/34 in 73 innings pitched, which are obviously very promising numbers. Based on those numbers, it’s apparent why people believe he is the main piece in this trade.

Just like Wisler, Sims has struggled when he has been given the opportunity to pitch in the Major Leagues. He has posted a 7.84 ERA in the Majors this season with the Atlanta Braves, all of his appearances this season have been out of the bullpen. Maybe a change will lead to more success in the big leagues as he heads to the Cincinnati Reds organization.

Although all of his appearances this season have been out of the bullpen, I would expect to see Sims as a starter for the Reds. Look for him to be pitching in Triple-A Louisville for now due to the crowded rotation the Reds currently have.

So, did the Reds win or lose this trade? Duvall would have been unlikely to have any future with this team going forward due to the fact that Jesse Winker and Scott Schebler have been coming into their own before their respective injuries.

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The Reds receive two RHPs and an OF that will come off the bench in exchange for a corner outfielder that delivers very solid power numbers but struggles to get on base. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me regardless of how everything plays out. Let’s all wish Adam Duvall luck as he moves forward in his journey and joins the Atlanta Braves. We’ll see how this thing plays out with the players the Reds received Monday night.

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