Reds: 3 players Cincinnati wishes were still on the roster for 2021

3. Former Reds reliever Dylan Floro

Give the Cincinnati Reds front office some credit. At the time of the transaction it caused hardly a ripple, but  the January 2018 signing of Dylan Floro was an excellent move by the Reds. Unfortunately, Cincinnati’s gamble is paying off handsomely for the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Making 25 appearances out of the Redlegs bullpen in 2018, Floro allowed just two homers and compiled a 3-2 record with an excellent 2.27 ERA. The 27-year-old right-hander was rewarded by the Reds, and was shipped to the Dodgers in July of the 2018 for a pair of minor leaguers.

Since arriving in the City of Angels, Floro has become a mainstay of the Dodgers bullpen. Whether it’s for extended outings or pivotal late-game situations, Floro has become a reliable asset for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

During parts of three seasons in LA, Floro has made 104 appearances and tossed 98.2 innings. He’s compiled an impressive 11-4 mark with a solid 3.10 ERA. If you’re looking for someone to keep the ball in the park, Floro is your man. He’s allowed only six round-trippers in Dodger blue.

While middle relievers are hardly the kind of guys to generate headlines, they’re vital to the success of good ballclubs. To demonstrate how important Floro would have been to the Reds, let’s look at a few names the team employed in an attempt to fill his role in the bullpen.

Jackson Stephens, Austin Brice, and Nate Jones. Enough said. Even though it was a low-key transaction, the trade of Dylan Floro to the Los Angeles Dodgers was an example of the Cincinnati Reds playing their hand much too, too early with nary a quality chip in return.