The Cincinnati Reds have traded left-handed pitcher Bennett Sousa to the Milwaukee Brewers. In return for the lefty reliever the Reds have acquired cash considerations and international spending pool money.
After having a good spring training with the Reds where he posted a 2.45 ERA with one walk and nine strikeouts in 7.1 innings across eight appearances, Bennett Sousa was optioned to Triple-A Louisville. The 28-year-old had made just one appearance with the Bats in the minor leagues before he was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster when the team called up right-handed pitcher Kevin Herget to join the bullpen after it was used and abused heavily in the first week of the season and Herget could provide multiple innings if asked.
Acquired off of waivers early in the spring, Bennett Sousa joined the organization on February 22nd. His stay was a rather short one with the Reds, lasting just about six weeks before he was moved to Milwaukee. Cincinnati will be getting a little bit of cash in the deal with the Brewers and they’ll be acquiring the ability to spend a little bit of extra cash on international players, too. The amount acquired for both parts of that deal is unknown.
The current international signing period began on mid-January and Cincinnati got to work quickly (as did every team). Cincinnati handed out their largest signing bonus ever to a non-Cuban international signing to a non-big league deal when they picked up catcher Alfredo Duno. One of the top rated players in the class, it gave the Reds back-to-back years of signing a player rated among the top five prospects – signing shortstop Ricardo Cabrera the year before. If you want to check out the reports on all of the signings the Reds have made this year from the international side of things, we’ve got you covered over at RedsMinorLeagues.com.
Every time I see the Reds sell a player, it brings to mind Carville’s comments back in the 90s about dragging cash through a trailer park. I’m not sure that Sousa doesn’t have a higher ceiling than Sanmartin.
Reds should be stockpiling relievers the way they’ve been stockpiling SS.
Bell has Strickland in the wings so I guess Sousa was expendable.
I hope the $$ was good and the Int’l 17 y.o. shortstop prospect is worth it.
Bob needed some more pocket money to buy up all the 50% off Easter candy tomorrow. Then he can resell it next year at full price.
A good spring training did not seem to count for Sousa and the Reds.
It counted for Sousa because he would be happy to go to the Brewers and they wanted him.
A bit baffling that the Reds didn’t seem to want to give him a chance at all.
You’ve got to wonder with how bad this bullpen is why didn’t Sousa get a chance. I guess Bob would rather have a few thousand bucks
I’d like to know someone’s thoughts on this that knows the Reds minor league system a lot better than I do. On the surface I hate it. The bullpen is terrible……That said, Souza is what 28 years old already. I could also see this being a nice slick move down the road if done correctly? I just don’t know with this team and front office????
The bonus pool allotment is potentially important. We don’t know the amounts, but the opportunity to offer more than other teams can be the difference between getting a top prospect and not.
Sousa was Designated for Assignment, which means the Brewers offered something in exchange for not competing with other teams on the waiver wire. If he didn’t get designated, another different reliever would have been released. The moment he is designated we lose him unless he clears waivers. Since the Brewers offered somethinf in a trade, it indicates they also would have selected him off waivers.
“After having a good spring training with the Reds where he posted a 2.45 ERA with one walk and nine strikeouts in 7.1 innings across eight appearances, Bennett Sousa was optioned to Triple-A.”
I’m a little confused. I thought lefties were extremely valuable especially ones that can get people out.
When a 28-year-old LHP on the 40-man roster doesn’t make the team out of ST, I think the Reds were not impressed with what they saw. ST results are abysmal indicators of future performance.
Still though. If he turns out to be pretty decent the Reds will look stupid. We’ll see.
“when the team called up right-handed pitcher Kevin Herget to join the bullpen… Herget could provide multiple innings, if asked.” … So can Fernando Cruz. However, coach has not been too keen on letting the middle relievers pitch more than one inning which is so strange. I recommend he change that.
Bell likes to tinker, to change pitchers and shuffle his defense and create a new lineup every day.
For him, that’s “managing”.
Cruz and Herget both went two innings apiece today, despite Bell’s typical preference for pulling a middle reliever after he’s thrown a strong inning.
I hope Bell was watching what was going on today.
Maybe he even surprised himself.