The Cincinnati Reds announced that they have traded outfielder Mark Payton to the New York Mets for cash. That’s a strange way of saying that they sold his rights and contract, but hey – I don’t make the rules.

Mark Payton was designated for assignment on Monday. Rather than taking the chance that he would be picked up by another team on the waiver wire the New York Mets decided he would be worth acquiring via trade.

Payton has had limited exposure in the big leagues. Over the last two seasons he’s had just 44 plate appearances and mostly they’ve come as a pinch hitter. He’s struggled in that role, hitting just .175/.250/.200 with a double, four walks, and 12 strikeouts. The 29-year-old has had more success in Triple-A when he’s played every day. This season he played in 35 games with the Louisville Bats and hit .281/.333/.446 with 11 walks and 23 strikeouts spread out over 151 trips to the plate.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com is reporting that the Reds received $75,000 in the deal.

Michael Feliz sent on a rehab assignment

Earlier this week we provided updates on a lot of the injured players on the Cincinnati Reds roster. Michael Feliz was one of those guys and it was said that he’d be going on a rehab assignment this weekend. Well, that’s official now as the reliever has been sent to join the Triple-A Louisville Bats.

2021 Reds Draft Update

The Cincinnati Reds have currently signed 20 of their 22 draft picks from this season. The only two players that remain unsigned are 1st round pick Matt McLain and 11th round pick Shawn Guilliams. There’s no reason to think that either will go unsigned. The deadline to sign is August 1st. If both sign it would be the second year in a row in which Cincinnati signed their entire draft class. Of course last year was only a 5-round draft, and this year is only a 20-round draft. In a typical year there are 40 rounds (and in the past it’s been 50 rounds, and 60+ rounds).

McLain, along with Hunter Greene, made the Top 50 prospect list this week at The Athletic. Greene came in as the #3 prospect in the minors according to the list. Guilliams is coming off of an arm injury that cost him most of his 2021 college season. He did throw prior to the draft, though.

24 Responses

  1. LDS

    At least we know the FO is still there. Now if only they’d do something that matters.

  2. west larry

    Maybe the reds got a couple hundred thousand for him. That should be enough to referbish the dough out , or for Big Bob to get a new sports car and a few pair of designer su glasses. In either case, Payton didn’t seem to fit into the reds plans. Good luck to him.

    • Doug Gray

      Mark Feinsand just reported it was $75,000.

      • west larry

        Well, he can get a sports car. Just not an elite sports car.

      • beelicker

        The Reds would get paid $5ok on a waiver claim pickup, correct? So that’s just an extra $25k in the pocket

  3. RedBB

    Geting a bit nervous about McClain. Anything to worry about here Doug? No way he goes back for his senior year right?

    • Stock

      He isn’t going back. The question is does he sign for closer to the slot position slotted to where he was projeected to go or closer to Reds slot money.

    • MK

      Didn’t Hunter Greene go down to the last hour? Senzel wasn’t any to quick either.

  4. CI3J

    I mean, sure, $75,000 for a player who wasn’t being used here, why not?

  5. Bet on Red

    Lineup posted. Pretty bold Flex from Bell saying tonight is the night Shogo is going to get his first HR.

    • LDS

      I noticed he benched both Aquino and Stephenson, both of whom performed well last night. Suarez of course is starting. Hey, he had a hit last night that wasn’t a homerun so I guess he’s “back”. My guess is that Schrock will get more playing time than Lopez. A sad excuse for a manager.

      • Bet on Red

        I was like what do you mean schrock, thinking he was in the minors. Then I saw about the roster move

      • LDS

        Hey apparently one can never have too many 3B.

      • centerfield

        that 3 hop double off the 3rd base bag was a sign that “Geno is back” – Reds announcers

      • greenmtred

        And yet the Reds are doing better than most of us expected. It’s very easy to judge decisions after the fact, just as it’s easy for people with no knowledge of injury/fatigue status of individual players to criticize decisions. It’s fun to second-guess, and we’re all lucky that none of us are going to have our bluffs called and be told to manage the Reds.

  6. Klugo

    Well, there it is. Our deadline move.

    • JayTheRed

      No sorry, The current GM said we would be buyers.. We sold Payton. Maybe the 75k helps us get a somewhat ok reliever?? At this point I’ll consider it a plus if they go out and get someone who has under a 4.50 ERA even if they are a middle reliever.

  7. DaveCT

    Payton seems like another guy whose AAA numbers were skewed in 2019. O’Grady, too.

  8. Old-school

    Jon india does what jon india does

  9. Old-school

    Suarez up
    Bases loaded

    Gotta get some runs in

    • Harold Morse

      They really need to give him more bench time , he doesn’t look comfortable at the plate

  10. Old-school

    Stop with the Kyle farmer love fest

    Hes a good guy

    Hes not a starting SS

    Absolute failure by the worst left side of the infield in mlb