The Reds added a late-inning reliever to the NL's best bullpen today, acquiring Jonathan Broxton from the Royals, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The Reds sent Triple-A lefty Donnie Joseph and Double-A righty J.C. Sulbaran to the Royals in return, tweets Rosenthal's colleague Jon Paul Morosi.
Broxton, 28, has bounced back this year to post a 2.27 ERA in 35 2/3 innings, although his peripheral stats aren't great with a 6.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9. He has posted a career-best 56.6% groundball rate, a large part in why he's allowed just one home run. Broxton is throwing 95 miles per hour again and has racked up 23 saves, though I'm guessing he'll join Sean Marshall in setting up Aroldis Chapman. Broxton is on a one-year deal and has $1.4MM remaining in base salary.
Joseph, 24, has a 1.72 ERA, 11.7 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, and one home run allowed in 52 1/3 relief innings across Double and Triple-A this year. Baseball America ranked him 27th among Reds prospects prior to the season, suggesting at the time he could become a power reliever in the bigs if able to improve his mechanics.
Sulbaran, 22, has a 4.04 ERA, 9.5 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, and 1.46 HR/9 in 104 2/3 innings as a starter at Double-A this year. Baseball America ranked him 12th among Reds prospects prior to the season, praising his stuff but expressing concern with his maturity and secondarypitches. They saw his future as a potential No. 3 starter at that time.
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Photo courtesy of US Presswire.
DerekJeterDan
Broxton, Marshall, and Chapman at the back end of the bullpen = No chance for the opposition. Love this move by the Reds.
greengrove
Trying to make a 6 inning ball game. Impressive.
Andrew Ward
Only if the starters hold it together in the first 6 or 7 innings
Casey Roshek
wow they really needed that
slasher016 2
Reds add a setup man you mean! No way Chapman is not closing.
michael hughes
Good for the Royals. I think this is exactly what they were expecting to do when they signed him in the offseason.
jill
Always a good move. If you aren’t going to contend, if your not really in the free agent market, you can do yourself some good by signing the best deal you can with a relief pitcher, preferably one that has had a history of success.
If things go better than you anticipate, well, you are going to need him for your own team. If the miraculous contending never happens, you got some nice pitcher to flip to someone that REALLY needs him for some new goodies.
JacobyWanKenobi
They should’ve gotten a bat from the left side instead.
East Coast Bias
Chapman will still be closing, I take it?
notsureifsrs
closing isn’t a strong enough word for what chapman has been doing
i bet some batters would sincerely prefer not to face him at the end of the game. down 3 and this guy is in? mercy rule please
Mike 122
“Um hey Um, here’s my bat. I’m just going to stand here and let Chapman play catch for a minute.”
brandondc
Wow. Great playoff teams always have a dominating bullpen. This came out of LF but I love it..
notsureifsrs
it seems like there is no negotiation at all in some deals
phone rings
“broxton for x?”
“…done”
Dan Klamet
Dayton Moore.
notsureifsrs
i like to make fun of him too, but he just got something for nothing here. whatever they get back, broxton was a really strong pickup this offseason
Dan Klamet
As long as frenchy and/or Betancourt was involved I’m okay with it
tim2nyy
Sucks for my fantasy team, lol.
MCTX
Low fly ball pitcher at GABP is a good thing.
TheReturnOfMrBlanks
Chapman can teach him how to strike out every single guy you face….lol God bless chapman and his starter like K’s
TophersReds
Best bullpen in baseball just got better.
Thomas Larson
great trade!!!
jill
I like it! You can never have too much pitching-and if you can’t find a starter that can help you, then it makes sense to add a relief pitcher that can.
Shane Maples
Glad to see we did something! Would still like to see a left handed hitter.
J. B. Rainsberger
Do the Reds think it’s 2009 or something?
WrigleyTerror37
no its 2012 and he as been great for the Royals this year
J. B. Rainsberger
52 baserunners in 35.2 innings is “great” how, exactly? Allowing only 1 HR, I’ll give you, but nothing else about his performance has been “great” since 2009.
MH_20
Time for me to drop Broxton from my fantasy team.
withpower
And time for me to add Aaron Crow.
asovermann
Gregg Holland is more likely for saves probably.
withpower
Damn, I already used the add.
MH_20
Yep. He’s already nabbed in both my leagues. I already have Aceves, Street, Clippard, and Axman (w/ Bailey stashed) so I may just dump Broxy for a position player.
Steve Duncan
Yep, it’ll more than likely be Greg Holland closing – though i wouldn’t be surprised to see Crow get a fair share of opportunities before the season is over.
Colin Christopher
Agreed. Herrera could possibly get a shot as well.
Tyler Andula
Greg Holland is the closer now according to Yost. I thought he should’ve gotten the spot after Soria went down anyway. I’m guessing with the rotations struggles Crow is destined to become a starter next year. My guess would be he continues his role as one of their setup men and we start seeing Herrera in more setup situations.
Wilsonl
WOW come on…
Adam
No problem, Cards fans. We got Ed Mujica!
Justin Marshall
Doesn’t he have like a 4 and a half something ERA?
Adam
My point…
J. B. Rainsberger
Mujica has allowed 20% fewer baserunners per inning than Broxton this year and 33% fewer over the past three years. It’s not even a close comparison.
Justin Marshall
Those 20% fewer runner score more often though. A 4.3 ERA is a 4.3 ERA.
J. B. Rainsberger
And a WHIP over 1.4 is a WHIP over 1.4.
Sky14
Bowden said that the Reds might be acquiring Broxton to free up pitchers for a Span deal. Since Bowden said it, a Span deal must be completely dead.
Gunner65
haha! No truer words have ever been spoken
asovermann
Span already vetoed a deal to Cincy an hour or so ago I think.
Gunner65
Not true … he had no veto power. MLB Network retracted that statement
asovermann
Alright, thanks.
Justin Marshall
No, MLB Network said they were wrong on reporting that. Said that never happened. Still, I don’t think that deal gets done.
asovermann
Thank you.
Andy_B
Inexcusable by Mozeilak to allow the Reds to get Broxton.
Mike 122
I’m sure they’re sending twenty bucks and a bouquet of flowers.
Lefty
Reds are spending an awful lot of money on their bullpen!
Austin Ensor
Wonder if the Cardinals could have got him?
Squirrel57
Pirates, Cardinals looking to acquire Matt Stairs.
joe-31
Reds are not done according to MLB/Fox Rosenthal could be Logan for Pierre deal?
slasher016 2
Reds aren’t giving up their 8th inning guy (with 4 years of control) for a rental in Pierre.
Jack Hillyard 2
What did the Royals get in return?
Gunner65
Todd Redmond, pitcher we got from the Braves is in the Reds club house. I wonder if he is taking someone’s place that is in the Broxton deal?
Let_Timmy_Smoke
Broxton has had a very good if slightly lucky year (peripherals aren’t as good as his final numbers). Regardless, a nice boost to an already great bullpen, but until they announce what they gave up for him, I’ll reserve judgment.
Jack Hillyard 2
I see reports show the deal hasn’t been entirely completed yet. Evidently, more to come
skiingallday
I like seeing all the talent heading to the NL…. It’s good for the Blue Jays ahah
Jamie Fette
maybe they take flyer and hope broxton can be a close type pitcher in effort to move chapman to rotation next year and leave marshall as set up?
Dan Klamet
Looks like we got Juancarlos Sulbaran.
TophersReds
Broxton for Sulbaran, according to reports. ML reliever for a Minor League reliever. I like it.
Josh Mohr
Sulbaran is NOT a RP, he is the Reds number 5 prospect, a SP, late round pick who has electric stuff. Great signing though, I knew Walt would NOT include Cingrani, Corcino, Hamilton, Gregorius, HRod, Hoover or Joseph in any trades
TophersReds
Not #5 prospect by most. And I’m hearing DoJo is in it too. What the hell is Walt doing? I hate hate hate losing DoJo.
Josh Mohr
I HATE losing DoJo, I do NOT get it, Why not send BRAY?
TophersReds
Bray is on the 15 DL (as of tonight). I really dislike this now too. Now we lost our Bray replacement.
TheMexicanStallion
Can’t send Bray if he was healthy. He’s not worth much when he was walking an insane amount. Hope Broxton pans out of the season. I’ll keep an open mind. It felt like an overpay to send Stewart in the Rolen deal, but he has bounced around a bit since.
Josh Mohr
Yeah so WHY would Walt send our ONLY OTHER ML ready LH RP in a trade for a 2 month rental?? I would have called up DoJo tonight after Bray was put on the DL. Sulbaran straight up for Broxton is a GREAT deal for KC, they stole Joseph from us, bad deal Jocketty.
TheMexicanStallion
Josh spoke too soon. Now it feels like a slight over pay, but you never know. I really liked having Joseph in the future.
TophersReds
Feels like a super overpay.
Royals Fan
Moore just ripped Walt off. Broxton was doing all this with smoke and mirrors. He never once had a “clean” save. Sulbaran AND Joseph is a steal for the Royals.
HarshReality666
I heard the same when they ripped off the Giants for Sanchez
TheMexicanStallion
I like the trade piece. I’m a little disappointed with moving somebody out of the bullpen though. Pending an injury.
Leon Eskenazi
Ohhh. The Nasty Boys are baaaack !!!!!
Josh Mohr
The Reds still have Masset coming back soon, lol. Just think if we didn’t lose Madson for the year. But with Broxton, Marshall and Chapman in the 8th and 9th, WOW
wwy
I bet if they had Madson, then either Chapman would have been starting or they wouldn’t have made this deal for Broxton. It sort of seems like overkill anyway, though, unless it’s tied to another deal that hasn’t been announced yet. This wasn’t really an area of need for the team.
Josh Mohr
Sulbaran fine, not Joseph Walt, why not send Bill Bray along and keep Donnie?
slasher016 2
Bray just went on the DL…yet again.
HarshReality666
Dayton Moore is just stunned that no one wanted Betancourt or Francouer
Marcatmeowmeow
So happy it was The Reds and not The Giants. Even though our bullpen is looking a little shaky I don’t think he would have been worth the trade.
reds2012
this is just unfair
Colin Christopher
That’s peculiar that BA expressed concern over Sulbaran’s secondary stuff while also rating his curveball as the best in Cincinnati’s system. Regardless…good move for the Royals. Probably for the Reds, too.
Hector Cortes
This is exactly why I thought the Mets should signed him in the offseason smh Sandy Alderson… nice haul for both teams though.
Eric Akers
This is a good move for both teams. Broxton may have been very lucky with the Royals, but his ground ball rate could be exceptionally helpful in certain situations. I like it for the Reds since he is not closing. I like for the Royals because they got something, and I no longer have to watch him close games anymore.
Jack Hillyard 2
This looks like a typical Dayton move–trading Broxton so the Royals don’t have to pay him in hopes of striking it lucky on a couple of “prospects”. How do you say Mazzaro, O’Sullivan, etc.?
Jack Hillyard 2
This does not fix the Royals problems. More of the same…marketing the future rather than filling immediates needs while not promoting youngsters who are clearly performing in the minors.