This seems like an interesting signing:
The Reds added an infielder/outfielder to their 40-man roster on Thursday, when Arismendy Alcantara was claimed off of waivers from the A’s. To make room, the well-traveled Patrick Kivlehan was designated for assignment.
Alcantara, 24, batted .278/.325/.467 with 12 home runs, 56 RBIs and 32 stolen bases in 108 Minor League games — mostly at the Triple-A level — in 2016. He began the season in the Cubs’ organization and was traded by Oakland for Chris Coghlan on June 9.
So long, Patrick Kivlehan, who played only three games for the Redlegs. (Kivlehan will likely stick with the organization, I’d guess, assuming no one claims him.)
Back to Alcantara: there was a time when this guy was a somewhat highly-touted prospect. To me, that makes him a much more interesting option for the Reds bench than the Jack Hannahans of the world. Read what Doug Gray has to say about him:
If the name sounds familiar it’s because Arismendy Alcantara is a former top prospect from the Chicago Cubs organization and has seen playing time in the big leagues with them (and a very small amount with the Athletics). After 2012 he was their #10 prospect and after the 2013 season he was their #7 prospect and the #100 prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America. He was ranked as highly as #83 that season by Baseball Prospectus.
Read the whole thing. This isn’t the difference between winning the 2017 World Series and missing the playoffs, but it helps. More depth, and a chance for a high payoff if the 24-year-old Alcantara can recapture some of the old magic.