Cincinnati Reds: Ranking the value of contracts signed to avoid arbitration

2. Anthony DeSclafani, Starting pitcher

2020 salary: $5.98M

Anthony DeSclafani finally put together a compete season in 2019 following several injury-plagued years. The 29-year-old went 9-9 in 31 starts with a 3.89 ERA and 167 strikeouts. Disco showed that he could be an important piece of the Cincinnati Reds rotation and will enter the 2020 season with a lot of expectations.

Finishing in the Top 20 of the National League in both ERA and punch outs, Anthony DeSclafani is entering uncharted territory. After missing nearly two years due to injury, the right-hander has the opportunity to go back-to-back years making 30-plus starts. The success of Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray overshadowed Disco’s success in 2019, but make no mistake, he was very good.

DeSclafani’s 24.0% strikeout-rate, according to FanGraphs, was the best of his career. Disco also saw a dip in his HR/9, going from 1.88 in 2018 to 1.52 last year. While DeSclafani did have have a propensity to surrender the long ball, his 16.9 K-BB% was a career-best as well. Anthony DeSclafani will be heavily relied upon next season.

With the addition of Wade Miley, Disco will likely be the Reds fourth or fifth starter next season. If DeSclafani meets or exceeds the standard he set last season, his 2020 salary of a little less than $6M is very good deal for the Reds. I’d personally love to see Cincinnati entertain the idea of signing Disco to a multi-year extension rather than allow him to reach free agency at season’s end.