Reds acquire trade deadline castoff after Dodgers hastily DFA’d him

The Reds made a rather quiet addition on Sunday afternoon after it was reported by New York Post columnist Jon Heyman that Cincinnati had claimed veteran infielder Amed Rosario off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Rosario was DFA's by the Dodgers last week in order to activate Mookie Betts off the injured list. This was a rather surprising move on behalf of Andrew Friedman and LA's front office considering that Rosario was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays just a couple weeks back at the MLB trade deadline.

Reds claim IF Amed Rosario off waivers from LA Dodgers

This addition is somewhat peculiar considering how many infielders the Reds already have on the active roster. In addition to All-Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz, the Reds have Jonathan India, Jeimer Candelario, Noelvi Marte, Santiago Espinal, Ty France, and Spencer Steer.

This move does, however, open up the possibility for Cincinnati to option Marte back to Triple-A Louisville. Suspended for the first 80 games of the 2024 season, Marte has not lived up to the billing since returning to the active roster. The 22-year-old is hitting just .176/.208/.294 over his last 15 games and has 16 strikeouts in 51 at-bats. Marte's defense has been quiestionable as well.

Rosario played just five games for the Dodgers this season and hit .273/.333/.364. Prior to his cup of coffee in LA, Rosario played in 76 games for the Tampa Bay Rays and posted a .307/.331/.417 slash line with two home runs and 26 RBI. Most Reds fans will probably remember Rosario for his time in the Cleveland Guardians organization. The infielder played three seasons for the Reds' rival to the north after his four-year stint to begin his big league career with the New York Mets.

Rosario brings a veteran presence and plenty of defensive versatility to the Reds. Though he played just five games for LA, Rosario played shortstop, second and third base. While he was with the Rays, Rosario also spent some time in right field. Rosario will be a free agent after this season.

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