Cincinnati Reds

Before the season, Yasiel Puig said he was playing for his next contract. Now, he's putting his bat where his mouth is and setting himself up for an offseason payday.

He's also among the most intriguing high-risk, high-reward trade commodities in MLB as the July 31 deadline approaches.

After an offseason swap sent him from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Cincinnati Reds, Puig made his intentions clear during spring training in typically controversial fashion.

"The last couple years, I didn't work hard because I still have a contract to go," Puig said in February, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. "Now I think I'll work hard more than any year in my life."

That admission undoubtedly rankled Los Angeles. The Dodgers experienced the highs and lows of the Puig roller coaster—beginning with his impressive debut in 2013, when he posted a .925 OPS in 104 games—before ultimately shipping him to Ohio.

Probably they were smiling smugly when he started the 2019 season ice cold. Puig hit .207 in April with a .615 OPS and often looked lost at the plate.

He hit .245 in May but launched six home runs. He followed that with a .287 average and seven homers in June. So far in July, he's hitting .358 with a 1.054 OPS.

The ice in his lumber has become fire.

Overall, his 37.6 percent hard-contact rate is above his career average of 34.9 percent, while his .281 batting average on balls in play is well below his career .313 BABIP. Translation: His numbers could be even better.

"It's been impressive," Reds manager David Bell told reporters. "It doesn't really feel like it's going away."

Another thing that isn't going away? Puig's showboating tendencies. He licks and flips bats with equal zeal. He photobombs teammates during postgame interviews. He's brash, he's unconventional, he thumbs his nose at the game's unwritten rules.

When he's hitting, it's arguably charming. When he's not hitting? Not so much.

In 2016, his antics collided with injury and underperformance, and the Dodgers demoted him to the minors. His once-promising career was in jeopardy.

"He is the worst person I've ever seen in this game," an unnamed former Dodger told Bleacher Report's Scott Miller in December 2015. "Ever."

When I interviewed former Cuban prospect Maikel Jova in 2016 and asked him about Puig, here was his response: "He's a great player. But..." Then he tapped two fingers on the side of his head.

Puig is a polarizing player. But he's also hyper-talented and could undeniably energize a buyer in need of outfield help.

The Reds are 46-54, eight games back in the NL Central and 7.5 games off the wild-card pace. 

Puig is their most obvious and alluring trade chip. He's "a particularly strong candidate to be moved," per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The Cleveland Indians, whose outfield has largely been an offensive graveyard, are an obvious fit. The Philadelphia Phillies could make a play with Jay Bruce nursing a strained oblique and Andrew McCutchen lost for the season to a torn ACL. Who doesn't want to see Puig and Bryce Harper in the same lineup? The bats would almost flip themselves. 

Small-market contenders such as the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays may also kick the tires on a relatively affordable rental as they push for the playoffs. Puig is earning a reasonable $9.7 million in 2019, and any club that acquires him would only be on the hook for the prorated amount, barring cash considerations. 

Puig has had his ups and downs in the postseason. But in 202 career plate appearances on the October stage, he owns a solid .280/.351/.429 slash line. And no one would argue he's afraid of the bright lights.

Set aside the questionable quotes, divisive behavior and past slumps and injuries. Puig is one of the hottest hitters in baseball. He's also an athletic outfielder with a howitzer arm who's stolen 13 bases. He's 28 years old. The Reds need to sell.

Puig might be playing for his next contract, but he should soon be doing so in different laundry.

   

All statistics current as of Wednesday and courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.

A recent cold streak by the Cincinnati Reds has opened up the possibility that outfielder Yasiel Puig could be dealt before the July 31 trade deadline.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Puig is considered a "particularly strong candidate" to be traded as the Reds fall out of playoff contention.

The National League Central was shaping up to be one of the best division races in Major League Baseball history at the All-Star break. Cincinnati was in last place at the end of the first half (41-46), but it only trailed the division-leading Chicago Cubs by three games in the loss column (47-43).

Since the second half started, though, the Reds have struggled to keep pace. They are 5-7 in their past 12 games, falling seven games behind the Cubs in the NL Central and 6.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second NL wild-card spot.

Puig is one of six Reds players who can become a free agent after this season. The 28-year-old has rebounded from a dreadful start to post a .299/.344/.580 slash line with 17 homers and 42 RBI in 59 games since May 9.

In a trade market that figures to be beneficial to teams in need of pitching help, the Reds could net a solid return for one of the few impact hitters available if they decide to sell high on Puig.

The Cincinnati Reds have reportedly attached an "exorbitant price tag" to starting pitcher Luis Castillo ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline.

According to Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com, the Reds are "waiting to be wowed" by an offer and will otherwise keep the 2019 All-Star.

Although Morosi didn't make a direct link to any club, he provided a sample offer of what Cincinnati would seek from a starter-interested team like the Atlanta Braves: outfielder Cristian Pache and starting pitcher Ian Anderson, the No. 14 and No. 26 prospects in baseball, per MLB.com.

That's a massive asking price and makes it unlikely Castillo is dealt over the next two weeks.

The 26-year-old Dominican Republic native is enjoying a terrific 2019. He's compiled a 2.41 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 134 strikeouts in 112 innings across 19 starts.

"Obviously felt great," Castillo told reporters through an interpreter after the All-Star Game. "I think everyone comes out with the mentality to absolutely throw their best stuff out there. I was just happy trying to throw my best pitches, and God willing, I was able to strike out those two guys. You just try to go out there and be competitive."

His 3.72 xFIP and 4.19 SIERA (via FanGraphs) suggest he's benefited from some good luck, however, and he posted a more modest 4.30 ERA during the 2018 campaign.

Giving up two elite-level prospects would be a risky proposition for any club, especially one like the Braves, whose championship window has just started to open.

Castillo is making only $557,500 this season and remains under team control through 2023 because of arbitration, per Spotrac.

There's no sense of urgency for the Reds to move him, and they're smart to seek a king's ransom in case a team is willing to bet big on the starter's success this year.

Derek Dietrich had a rough couple of games against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Cincinnati Reds second baseman was hit by six pitches in the team's series against Milwaukee, which set an MLB record, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.

Hey Derek, how many times have you been hit by a pitch this series? pic.twitter.com/KhHCKoAMOQ

— Cut4 (@Cut4) June 22, 2019

"I'm not a stranger of getting hit by pitches, but the way it's been happening this series is just a little bit out of the norm. I don't think any of them were intentional. That was a bad changeup up and in," Dietrich said of the last pitch that hit him. "It was kind of tough to see with the shadows there anyway."

Dietrich was hit by three pitches in Friday's 11-7 win alone, and during the contest Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell argued to the umpires that Dietrich was leaning into pitches in an effort to get hit.

"It's the umpire's judgment if he is intentionally putting himself into the balls. I don't know, but the second one, especially," he said after the game, per Sheldon. "But that's what he does. He's done it his whole career. And he gets hit a lot because of it. In Major League Baseball, I don't know when I've seen [an umpire call it]."

Cincy's Derek Dietrich once again sticks his body armored elbow out and gets an HBP. Two straight at-bats now. That's 13 HBPs for the season for him now. Has learned an easy way to get on base.

— Tom (@Haudricourt) June 22, 2019

Dietrich had a different take on the situation.

"I've been trying to make a conscious effort of staying in there, and staying over the plate and getting my best swing off," he said. "I think it's one of those times. Just like you can hit five, six homers in a week, you can get five or six hit-by-pitches in a week."

Can you blame Derek Dietrich for being mentally and physically exhausted after these first two games in Milwaukee?

He's the first player in MLB history to be hit by a pitch three times and score four runs in the same game.#BornToBaseball | @Reds | @JeffPiecoro pic.twitter.com/4QOoSNy9wn

— FanDuel Sports Network Cincinnati (@FanDuelSN_CIN) June 22, 2019

Hitting five or six homers in a series probably stings a bit less than getting hit by six pitches, though. But Dietrich took it in stride, even flipping his bat after the third time he got hit on Friday:

Derek Dietrich gets drilled for the third time tonight. Both benches have been warned.#BornToBaseball | @Reds

STREAM: https://t.co/iQEeUCjxxi pic.twitter.com/H517KhMr5L

— FanDuel Sports Network Cincinnati (@FanDuelSN_CIN) June 22, 2019

Dietrich had the last laugh, though, scoring seven runs in the series as the Reds took two of three against the Brewers. It was a unique way to get the job done, and Dietrich would probably prefer getting on base in a different manner going forward. 

Once upon a time not so long ago, Derek Dietrich toiled in the MLB shadows. Now, suddenly and improbably, he's thrust himself into the spotlight.

Though he sometimes performed like a solid platoon player, Dietrich was largely a middling utilityman for the Miami Marlins from 2013 to 2018. That's about as close to professional sports obscurity as anyone can get.

When the Cincinnati Reds signed Dietrich to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training in February, it registered somewhere between a "meh" and a yawn.

Less than four months later, the 29-year-old is the toast of Cincinnati and one of the coolest—and most polarizing—stories in baseball.

Through 56 games, Dietrich has hit 17 home runs and owns a 1.073 OPS. It's early June, and he's already eclipsed his career home run mark of 16, which he set last year. With the usual grains of salt applied, he's on pace for 49 homers. 

In addition to the impressive numbers, Dietrich is dishing personality aplenty.

When a swarm of bees caused a delay at Great American Ball Park, he dressed up as an exterminator to entertain the fans. When the lights went out during a contest against the Athletics in Oakland, he became an electrician alongside Oakland's elephant mascot:

https://twitter.com/Reds/status/1125949999408402433

Oh, and how about the eye-black mustache he sported while donning a 1911 throwback jersey?

He also admires his home runs with borderline-excessive aplomb, which has ruffled the feathers of MLB's old-school, unwritten-rules club.

"I can't stand him," Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster John Wehner said on Pittsburgh's 93.7 The Fan (h/t TribLive.com's Tim Benz). "I don't understand why you have to do that. It's different if you're a Hall of Fame player, you're a 60-homer guy, you're an established guy. Nobody ever heard of him before this year."

Will Dietrich stop doing his thing because of the grumbling? Don't bet on it. After more than a half-decade of anonymity with the Marlins, he's clearly relishing his moment in the sun.

Here's the bigger question: Can he sustain his stats? There are no guarantees, but signs point to yes.

Dietrich's hard-contact rate has jumped from a career average of 33 percent to 41.4 percent. However, his batting average on balls in play is only .220, compared to a career average of .303.

Despite his impressive early results, he's actually been unlucky.

The lefty swinger is still largely a platoon player, as he was with Miami. He has only 16 at-bats against southpaws. But he could improve in that department, as well.

In those 16 at-bats, he's collected four hits, including a double.

"[It's about] how comfortable I feel here and how the Reds just let me be myself and do what I've always known I'm capable of doing from day one when I stepped into the big leagues," Dietrich told reporters after he clubbed three home runs against the Pirates on May 28. "They believe in me and have given me an opportunity. Really, I think that's all I really needed along the way."

The Reds are in last place in the National League Central and may be sellers at the July 31 trade deadline. There's virtually zero chance they'll deal Dietrich, who is under club control through 2020. If anything, he's an extension candidate.

Maybe you don't love his antics, though they undeniably inject mirth into a long season. Remember when Bryce Harper urged his fellow players to make baseball fun again? Dietrich got the memo.

Sure, there's a fine line between fun and unsportsmanlike showboating. And baseball has a way of humbling even the greatest players.

But if you aren't tuning in to watch Dietrich's turn in the spotlight, you're missing a pretty dang good show.

It's exuberant. It's improbable. It features bees.

Mostly, it's swag personified.

       

All statistics current entering play Tuesday and courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball Reference.

The Pittsburgh Pirates won't have to play Cincinnati Reds second baseman Derek Dietrich until the end of July following Wednesday's contest, but even that break probably isn't long enough for the National League Central team.

Dietrich drilled three home runs during Tuesday's 11-6 win over the Pirates and already has a career-high 17 long balls on the season.

Derek Dietrich. Demolished. pic.twitter.com/OM0cU5355X

— MLB (@MLB) May 28, 2019

Derek Dietrich just homered AGAIN. 😳 pic.twitter.com/I7x4OzKcN1

— MLB (@MLB) May 29, 2019

DIETRICH HIT EM WITH THE MJ SHRUG! pic.twitter.com/2ndgYJ6zdk

— Cut4 (@Cut4) May 29, 2019

ESPN.com noted 12 of his last 17 hits have been homers, with eight of his blasts coming against Pittsburgh. What's more, his 118 at-bats represent the seventh-fewest needed to reach 17 home runs since 1961.

The Reds are 4-2 in their last six games thanks in part to Dietrich's heroics. While they are still in last place in the NL Central, they are just five games behind the Chicago Cubs. They also sport a run differential of plus-41 that is fourth-best in the National League and suggests they will remain a threat for much of the season.

Cincinnati traded for Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Tanner Roark, Sonny Gray and Alex Wood this offseason, but the signing of Dietrich to a minor league deal may be the most fruitful move of all.

If he continues hitting long balls, the Reds could challenge for their first postseason spot since the 2013 campaign.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Yasiel Puig left Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a shoulder injury.

C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reported Puig is day-to-day after suffering a sprained shoulder after making a catch against the wall.

Puig, 28, was traded to the Reds in December along with Alex Wood, Matt Kemp, Kyle Farmer and $7 million for Homer Bailey and prospects Jeter Downs and Josiah Gray. The move was essentially a salary dump for the Dodgers, while it dramatically improved Cincy's outfield. 

Puig has responded by hitting .210 with seven homers and 25 RBI in 44 games entering Sunday's contest.

He has been one of the more exciting players in baseball over the past few years, though questions have remained about his effort and attention to detail. Puig himself admitted in late February that he didn't work hard during his time with the Dodgers.

"I never worked hard," he told Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. "Maybe that's the reason why I didn't have my better years."

"The last couple years, I didn't work hard because I still have a contract to go," he added. "Now I think I'll work hard more than any year in my life."

When engaged, Puig is a dangerous player. He showed his full potential in 2017, hitting .263 with career highs in homers (28) and RBI (74) while tying his career high in stolen bases (15). He also scored 72 runs. 

But he fell out of favor in 2018, appearing in just 125 games while receiving just 139 at-bats against left-handed pitchers. 

In Cincinnati, however, Puig is one of the faces of the organization and key figures as the team tries to push for a postseason berth. In a potential absence, Jose Peraza and Phillip Ervin would figure to split the extra starts in right field.

A swarm of bees caused a delay in Monday's game between the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds, but Derek Dietrich tried to save the day.

The Reds utility player dressed up in a pest-control suit and did his best to get the bugs off the field:

Derek Beetrich. 🐝 pic.twitter.com/SV3HcTtizl

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 6, 2019

Derek Dietrich is not starting today for the Reds, but he is wearing this beekeeper suit and attempting to scare (??) the bees away. I am not joking, that’s actually Dietrich. pic.twitter.com/SzlbpYXgG2

— Kerry Crowley (@KO_Crowley) May 6, 2019

While there are likely other people more qualified to handle this mess, it seems the Reds could use as much help as possible considering the infestation around the dugouts:

A swarm of bees is delaying the Giants-Reds game 😬

(via @FOXSportsOH) pic.twitter.com/rRMparq1fr

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) May 6, 2019

Dietrich has shown versatility throughout his career, playing four different positions already this season. Adding exterminator to his resume takes it to another level.

The Cincinnati Reds released veteran outfielder Matt Kemp on Saturday.

Kemp, who is on the injured list with a broken rib, became expendable when the Reds called up top outfield prospect Nick Senzel on Friday.

Prior to landing on the IL, Kemp was hitting .200 with one home run and five RBI in 20 games.

Cincinnati acquired the 34-year-old Kemp from the Los Angeles Dodgers during the offseason in a salary-dump move that also brought outfielder Yasiel Puig, infielder Kyle Farmer and pitcher Alex Wood into the fold.

Kemp was coming off a strong season with the Dodgers in which he hit .290 with 21 homers and 85 RBI en route to his third career All-Star nod.

After spending the first nine seasons of his MLB career with the Dodgers, Kemp bounced around between the San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Dodgers and Reds over the past few seasons.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post noted that Kemp's hefty contract had plenty to do with his constant movement:

#Reds release Matt Kemp. His 8 yr $160M contract already had been traded 4 times. Will any other team even give him a try?

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) May 4, 2019

Now that a team can pick up Kemp without having to take on a massive contract, there may be some interest in him as a depth outfielder.

Reds manager David Bell told Jeremy Rauch of Fox19 that Kemp was no longer a fit in Cincinnati with Senzel getting the call:

David Bell: with how things are shaping up, didn’t see a great fit for Matt Kemp here.

Reaffirmed Nick Senzel will be an everyday player. #Reds @FOX19

— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) May 4, 2019

Per MLB.com, Senzel is the No. 5 prospect in baseball. Prior to his call-up, the 2016 No. 2 overall draft pick was hitting .257 with one home run and two RBI in eight Triple-A games.

With Senzel set for regular playing time, Kemp would have been a high-priced backup in Cincinnati since Puig and Jesse Winker are starting as well. The release of Kemp does leave the Reds with some depth problems in the outfield, though, since they have just three true outfielders on the major league roster.

Kemp is an accomplished player who has hit 20 or more home runs in a season eight times and finished second in the National League MVP voting in 2011.

He also boasts a career batting average of .285, which could make him a solid extra outfielder or designated hitter for an American League team at the very least.

After days of speculation, the Cincinnati Reds officially promoted top prospect Nick Senzel ahead of Friday's game against the San Francisco Giants.

Senzel is the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com. He has been among the top prospects in Cincinnati's farm system since being taken second overall in the 2016 draft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzFNckXbwpg

The 6'1", 205-pounder was viewed as arguably the top hitting prospect of his draft class and has only backed up those projections. He has quickly worked his way through the minor leagues, hitting .312/.388/.508 over parts of four seasons.

After slashing .321/.391/.514 between High-A and Double-A in 2017, Senzel appeared to be in a position to potentially reach the big leagues last year. However, it's been hard for the organization to find a position for him.

Senzel played third base at the University of Tennessee, but the Reds signed All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suarez to a seven-year extension in March 2018. That led the team to shift Senzel to second, where Scooter Gennett's emergence the last two seasons resulted in an All-Star selection in 2018. 

After Cincinnati declined to tender Gold Glove candidate Billy Hamilton a contract during the offseason, that left a hole in center field. And that's where the Reds plan to use Senzel at least for 2019, as Gennett—who has been sidelined since March due to a groin injury—is in the final year of his contract.

The 23-year-old proved his bat was ready for the show after hitting .308 during spring training. However, given he had no prior experience in the outfield as a professional, Cincinnati opted to send him to the minors to start the season. That decision did not sit well with Senzel's agent, Joel Wolfe. He said in a statement:

"I don't believe I've ever made public statements on this issue in my career, but I feel compelled to do so in this case where it feels like a simply egregious case of service-time manipulation. 

"We are well aware of the mandate from ownership for the Reds to win this year -- and this seems to fly in the face of it. The NL Central was decided by one game last year. Every game matters. This is a shortsighted move that may be frugal now but could cost them dearly later."

Unfortunately for both sides, Senzel sprained his right ankle just days later, preventing him from getting a better feel for the outfield. He did not make his 2019 debut at Triple-A until April 23.

Senzel has also missed time in each of the past two seasons due to vertigo, and his 2018 campaign was cut short due to a finger injury.

Now that he is healthy, though, and shown he is capable in center, he will finally get his shot at the majors.

https://twitter.com/jluckhaupt/status/1124327542331191296

https://twitter.com/jluckhaupt/status/1124330588352262144

Cincinnati is hoping the promotion can spark an offense that has struggled to start the season. The Reds rank last in the majors in average (.207), 29th in on-base percentage (.281) and 26th in runs scored. They have already been shut out five times through 31 games and have scored just one run in their last two games.

That lack of offense has Reds (13-18) in last place of the National League Central despite plus-10 run differential, largely due to the pitching staff having the second-best ERA (3.21) in baseball.