What happens to baseballs after Cincinnati Reds games?
How much does a used Cincinnati Reds baseball cost? Here’s how the team uses them to raise money for its community fund.
The Cincinnati Reds landed a veteran left-handed bat to help upgrade the lineup, trading an outfield prospect to the Los Angeles Dodgers for veteran middle infielder Gavin Lux, sources confirmed Monday night.
Now they have to figure out where to play him.
Lux also has experience playing left field, and the Reds expect him to move around. He might even see time at third, shortstop and first. The Reds were among the league’s lower-run teams in production at the infield corners last season.
Lux, who has been a good defender where he has played (another plus for the defensively challenged Reds), has only one big-league game at third base (four in the minors) and none at first.
The move opens the possibility of right-handed hitting Matt McLain, the highly regarded middle-infield prospect who was the presumptive starting second baseman, rotating out of second to also play other positions, such as center field, where he played some during Arizona Fall League play this offseason.
Lux, 27, has a career .252 batting average with a .326 on-base percentage and 28 home runs in 412 career big-league games – and two World Series rings.
Coming off a knee injury that cost him the 2023 season, Lux hit .251 with a career-high 10 homers and 24 doubles in 139 games last season, performing significantly better in the second half (.304, .899 OPS) as he regained strength.
He’s under club control for two more seasons and is projected to make between $2.5 million and $3 million through arbitration this winter.
The addition pushes the Reds’ projected payroll past the $96 million mark, nearing the budget ownership froze at roughly $100 million (last year’s number).
The Reds sent outfield prospect Mike Sirota and a competitive balance draft pick (37th) to the Dodgers for Lux.
Sirota, the Reds’ third-round draft pick out of Northeastern University less than six months ago, was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 16th round out of high school in 2021 before choosing college. A .324-hitting slugger in college, Sirota has not yet made his professional debut.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Lux, the Reds designated pitcher Roansy Contreras for assignment. Contreras had been claimed off waivers from the Texas Rangers last month.
Lux became available at the relatively low price after the Dodgers agreed to terms on a three-year deal late last week with Korean free agent middle infielder Hyeseong Kim, who slots in as their starting second baseman in Lux’s wake.
It’s the Reds’ third trade to supplement the big-league roster since the offseason began and at least partially addresses the loss of infielder Jonathan India in the trade with the Royals for starting pitcher Brady Singer. The Reds also acquired backup catcher Jose Trevino last month in a trade with the Yankees that sent reliever Fernando Cruz to New York.
The Reds’ only big-league free agent signing was a technicality, bringing back pitcher Nick Martinez when the free agent righty accepted the $21.05 million qualifying offer.
Earlier Monday, the Reds completed a deal with the Rangers for depth pitcher Owen White for cash considerations. White, who spent most of last season in the minors, had been designated for assignment by Texas.