The Reds announced a series of transactions this afternoon. Robert Dugger, recently claimed off waivers from the Rays, has reported to the team and joined the active roster. Reliever Buck Farmer has been designated for assignment to open space. Cincinnati also activated outfielder Tyler Naquin from the COVID-19 injured list and returned “substitute player” Ronnie Dawson to Triple-A Louisville.
Cincinnati signed Farmer to a minor league deal over the offseason, and he made the Opening Day roster. The veteran righty has worked 12 innings over ten appearances, allowing ten runs (nine earned) on 15 hits and seven walks. Farmer has struck out a solid 17 batters with a personal-best 13.2% swinging strike rate, but the Reds have elected to go in a different direction based on the poor results.
Before this season, the 31-year-old Farmer had spent his entire career with the Tigers. He often soaked up multiple innings out of the bullpen and posted a sub-4.00 ERA in both seasons from 2019-20, but his final year in Detroit was disappointing. Farmer posted a 6.37 ERA in 35 1/3 innings last year, walking 12.3% of opponents in the process.
The Reds have a week to trade Farmer or place him on waivers. The latter seems likelier given his rough start to the season. He has more than five years of MLB service, meaning he can refuse an outright assignment in favor of free agency while still collecting his $850K salary. In any event, it seems Farmer’s time in the Cincinnati organization is coming to a close.
Dawson’s return to Louisville removes him from the 40-man roster after one appearance. He was selected as a designated COVID replacement when Naquin hit the injured list (alongside Nick Senzel) on Wednesday. Now that Naquin has been cleared to return, Dawson heads back to the minors. Albert Almora Jr. was selected as a substitute at the same time and remains on the MLB roster with Senzel still out of action.
Back to the farm….
How many wins do y’all realistically think the Reds will have this season?
They’re on pace for 19-20, but they can’t be that bad, so I’ll say 27.
I’ll go as high as 40.
I think if Mahle gets on track and Castillo comes back in form they will pick up the pace. I think they get to 60 wins. They will have some positive regression offensively and I see Greene getting sent down soon because he has not looked good at all and needs to get some confidence back in AAA.
If Mahle gets back in track or Castillo comes back to form they should trade them for prospects at the deadline. Which means even more losses the second half.
As bad as they’ve looked I’m going with 50. Every other team in the league is considerably better. Their games with PIT will tell the tale.
Before the season started, I predicted 69 wins. That still seems about right. Obviously, they are going to have to pick up the pace quite a bit, but with Castillo, Barrero and India returning from the IL soon I think it’s at least possible.
Neon,
That’s actually spelled ‘yous’.
They got two of their three wins the opening weekend against the Braves. Go figure.
When you get DFA with this Reds team … that’s not resume material. Wow this team is bad
Bet those strikeouts help some fantasy league teams. Don’t count for anything in reality though.
I have a sneaking suspicion Urena is going to wind up a Red within the next few days.
Reds probably looking at BAL thinking, “when the O’s DFA Matt Harvey after like 4 appearances, we’ll be ready to land him and plug him right into the rotation.”
I’m tired of the articles and tweets about sell the team. That’s fine. I agree. Don’t blame this horrible start to that, however. They are pros. No justification in being as terrible as they have become.
Big Ash Brewery has a new beer out called sell the team bob.
Does it really matter what the reds do though?
It’s getting hard rooting for them..
Farmer was a quality bullpen piece and spot starter for many years in Detroit.
Some team will take a flyer on him and get him back on track.
Wasn’t this guy the guitarist for Blue Öyster Cult?