Cincinnati Reds news: Gavin LaValley among 48 minor leaguers released

The Reds released Gavin LaValley along with 47 other minor leaguers.

We all knew it was coming. While this time of year is quite common to see major league ball clubs release some of their minor league talent, the coronavirus pandemic has caused some teams to dig a little deeper. According to Baseball America, the Cincinnati Reds released 48 players including former fourth-round draft pick Gavin LaValley.

LaValley may not be a household name for most Reds fans, but any time a top draft pick is released it’s somewhat newsworthy. LaValley was taken with the 125th overall pick in 2014 out of Carl Albert High School in Midwest, Oklahoma.

Gavin LaValley received an invite to spring training earlier this year and made an appearance in six games. The right-hand hitting first baseman went 0-for-4 with two walks and a strikeout in Cactus League play.

Miles Gordon, another former fourth-round pick was also among the 48 players released. Gordon, native Canadian, was taken in the 2015 MLB Draft out of St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Secondary School. A centerfielder by trade, Gordon never made it above Advanced-A Daytona, where he played just 19 games last season while hitting just .207.

Jose Lopez, who was recently part of the Cincinnati Reds 40-man roster, was also released. Lopez, just 26-years old, was part of the 2014 draft class along with Gavin LaValley. Lopez was a prominent fixture of the Louisville Bats over the past two seasons, but never saw his ERA get below 4.40 while playing at Triple-A.

None of these releases are all too shocking, as none of the team’s Top 30 prospects were among those released. With the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft just under one week away, the Reds will have ample opportunity to replenish their minor leagues. Even with the draft limited to just five rounds, several college seniors will be eligible to sign after the draft is complete.

The Cincinnati Reds have the 12th overall pick in the draft and have been pegged by most experts to go after either a high school bat or a college pitcher. Given where Cincinnati is sitting, they could go either way. With their farm system raided by trades over the past two years, it’d be prudent for the Reds management to make this year’s selections count.