Reds news: Bullpen boosted and outfield depth added at the deadline

The Cincinnati Reds made a flurry of moves at the deadline.

The trade deadline was not quiet. While a lot of focus was on the San Diego Padres addition of Mike Clevinger, the Cincinnati Reds snuck in late and made some last minute deals with both the Los Angeles Angels and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Reds also recalled outfielder Aristides Aquino and optioned Joel Kuhnel to the alternate site.

So who’d the Reds get? First, Cincinnati shipped left-handed prospect Packy Naughton and a player to be named later to the Los Angeles Angels. In return, the Reds acquired outfielder Brian Goodwin. Goodwin has appeared in 30 games for the Angels this season and is hitting .242/.330/.463.

The 29-year-old can play every outfield spot, but I’d ticket him to be the team’s left fielder when Jesse Winker is not on the field. The left-handed hitter will likely fill the role currently occupied by Mark Payton, who’s likely to be optioned to the alternate site tomorrow.

The Cincinnati outfield was thought to be a strength of this team heading into the season, but Nick Senzel has been on the injured list, Shogo Akiyama has yet to live up to the billing and Phillip Ervin was just recently designated for assignment.

Nick Castellanos has been the lone bright spot in the Cincinnati outfield. However, even though the right-handed slugger signed a four-year/$64M contract over the winter, Castellanos has an opt-out clause in his contract following the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Adding Brian Goodwin give the Reds good outfield depth and a left-handed bat off the bench.

The other deal that went down involved the Arizona Diamondbacks. Cincinnati upgraded its bullpen in the form of right-handed reliever Archie Bradley. The Reds also received cash as part of the deal that sent Josh VanMeter and outfield prospect Stuart Fairchild to the desert.

Cincinnati’s bullpen has been up and down all season, with more down than up. If the Reds want to compete for the postseason, adding another solid reliever was a must. Bradley fits that bill. A former first-round pick has been the D-Backs closer the past two years.

While I would stop short of calling Bradley the Cincinnati new closer, it definitely gives manager David Bell more options late in games. With Raisel Iglesias, Robert Stephenson and Michale Lorenzen struggling so far in 2020, Lucas Sims has been the Reds only consistent right-handed reliever.

Both acquisitions help the team, not only this season, but in 2021 as well. Bradley is arbitration eligible for the final time after this season and Goodwin is under team-control for two more years. Both additions will counted upon right away to help the Cincinnati Reds return to the postseason for the first time since 2013.