Cincinnati Reds: Grading 2020 trade deadline deals

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CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 12: Josh VanMeter #17 of the Cincinnati Reds reacts after hitting a home run. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

The Reds added outfield depth and a strong arm to their bullpen on Monday.

The trade deadline has come and gone and the Cincinnati Reds did not stand pat. Nick Krall and Dick Williams made some 11th hour deals that netted the Reds an additional outfielder and a late-inning reliever. While it’s sometimes foolish to grade trades immediately after the fact, with such urgency put on the final month of the 2020 season, let’s see how Cincinnati did.

The Reds began the afternoon by acquiring Brain Goodwin from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for left-handed prospect Packy Naughton. Goodwin is a solid, yet unspectacular player who is capable of playing all three positions on the outfield grass. The Reds front office is hopeful that Goodwin helps to boost the team’s beleaguered offense.

The second, and more recognizable name heading to the Queen City is Diamondbacks closer Archie Bradley. After the first month of the season revealed many holes in the Cincinnati bullpen, it was apparent that changes were necessary. Adding a reliable reliever like Bradley gives Reds skipper David Bell another arm to turn to late in games.

So, did the Reds get better? Worse? Were these moves enough to vault Cincinnati into the postseason for the first time since 2013? The Reds currently sit at 15-20 with 25 games left to play. The team is 2.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for second-place in the NL Central and a spot in the playoffs. Let’s see if these moves were enough to make a postseason push.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 21: Brian Goodwin #18 of the Los Angeles Angels smiles after his home run. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Brian Goodwin adds depth to an already stocked Reds outfield.

On the surface, this trade does not make much sense to me. The Cincinnati Reds just recently designated Phillip Ervin for assignment, and while Brain Goodwin is having a better 2020 campaign than Ervin did, surrendering a potential left-handed starter like Packy Naughton for a rotational outfielder like Goodwin is a non-starter for me.

That’s not to say that Goodwin is not a talented player. The former first-round pick has good speed and plays solid defense. Goodwin possesses the ability to play all three outfield spots, but will likely find a home in left field when he’s in the lineup. Goodwin’s career-OPS of .783 is good enough, but it just feels as though his standing with the club will be redundant.

It’s obvious that Cincinnati’s outfield was, and still is, crowded. Nick Castellanos is the team’s right fielder and when Nick Senzel returns from injury, he’ll be the team’s everyday centerfielder. Jesse Winker seems to have settled into the role of designated hitter, but he can play left field as well.

Shogo Akiyama has not lived up to the hype, but it seems very unfair to judge the Japanese outfielder’s performance based on just one month of major league action. The Reds still have left-handed hitting Mark Payton on the roster and just recently called up Aristides Aquino. Adding Goodwin, while not detrimental to the team, seemed like an unnecessary move.

In return, the Los Angeles Angels received left-hander Packy Naughton. While not one the Reds elite prospects, Naughton is no slouch. Naughton doesn’t wow you with his fastball, but he has a solid three-pitch repertoire. Naughton has the potential to be the Angels No. 5 starter as soon as 2021 or, at worst, a solid left-hander out of the bullpen.

Analysis: I’m really not a fan of this trade. That’s not a slight against Brian Goodwin, but the reality is that Cincinnati has more than enough outfielders. When you struggle as an organization to call up last year’s Player of the Month of August (Aquino), why add another player to the mix?

Grade: C-

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JULY 28: Archie Bradley #25 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the ninth inning. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Archie Bradley could supplant Raisel Iglesias as the Reds closer.

Now, this was a move I can get behind. Yes, the Reds hitting has not been up to par this season, but the Cincinnati bullpen has offered no consistency outside of Lucas Sims and Amir Garrett. Adding Archie Bradley to the mix will hopefully change that. The right-hander has all the tools to be a dominant pitcher late in games.

Bradley was the Arizona Diamondbacks first-round pick in 2011, the same year they took current Cincinnati Reds starter Trevor Bauer. Bradley has a wicked fastball and an above-average 12-6 curveball. The right-hander was the D-Backs No. 1 overall prospect in 2014 according to MLB Pipeline.

The D-Backs gave Bradley a chance to start in 2015, and the former first-rounder went 2-3 I night starts with a 5.80 ERA. The following season didn’t go much better for Archie Bradley and the Oklahoma native was moved to the bullpen in 2017. Since then, Bradley has thrown in 70-plus innings the last three seasons and had a 2.95 ERA heading into the 2020 season.

In exchange for Bradley, the Reds shipped utility player Josh VanMeter and outfield prospect Stuart Fairchild to the Diamondbacks. While VanMeter was an easy player to root for, he seemed lost this season, as evidence by his .059 batting average. After signing Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos last winter, any chance VanMeter of being a regular in the Reds lineup vanished.

Stuart Fairchild is a solid outfielder, but as mentioned earlier, Cincinnati has plenty of them. One could easily make the case that Andy Suglio or TJ Friedl offer a similar profile, and both appear ready to make the jump to the bigs if needed.

Next. 15 greatest deadline deals in Reds history

Analysis: This trade makes sense. With Michael Lorenzen off his game to begin the 2020 season, the Reds needed another reliable right-hander in the bullpen. What will be interesting is to see who David Bell turns to with the game on the line in the ninth inning; Raisel Iglesias or Archie Bradley?

Grade: B+

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