The Cincinnati Reds had a plethora of roster moves two hours prior to the start of this afternoon’s game against the San Diego Padres. The team has activated right-handed reliever Derek Law and called up outfielder Stuart Fairchild from Triple-A. To make room on the big league roster for them they optioned reliever Eduardo Salazar to Triple-A and the team designated right-handed pitcher Alec Mills for assignment.
Derek Law has missed the last six week with a flexor mass strain in his pitching arm. He has been on a rehab assignment for a little over a week. He made one appearance with the High-A Dayton Dragons before moving up to Triple-A where he made two appearances out of the Louisville Bats bullpen. He threw a shutout inning in each of his three outings – all of which included at least one strikeout and no walks. When Law was placed on the injured list in the middle of May he had a 2.57 ERA for the Reds in 21.0 innings.
Stuart Fairchild is back with the big league club after spending a week in Triple-A with Louisville. In the five games he played with the Bats he ran off a 5-game hitting streak that included three home runs. The rest of his 2023 season was spent with Cincinnati. Often used against left-handed pitchers, Fairchild was hitting .237/.331/.404 in 64 games for the Reds before he was optioned to the minor leagues in late May.
Eduardo Salazar pitched two innings yesterday against the Padres, giving up two runs along the way. He, like several other relievers, is back-and-forth on the Triple-A to MLB to Triple-A shuttle. Having just pitched multiple innings and likely unavailable for a few days, he gets jettisoned back to Louisville for the time being.
Alec Mills also pitched for the Reds in yesterday’s game. He gave up two earned runs and was charged with three unearned runs in his inning of work. It was his first big league appearance in 364 days. After having back surgery last season he had worked his way back and signed with the Reds in the middle of May and pitched in the minor leagues for them for a few weeks before his call up. Out of options, Mills had to be designated for assignment.
Do I win a prize for correctly predicting these moves?
No – as this is a temporary day to day move with Reds only having 12 pitchers and 14 position players. Which position player gets sent down or DFA’d when Santillan(or other) gets called up inthe next 36-48 hours? Can they send Fairchild down after 48 hours??? That seems silly. I think another roster move is coming soon as TS days as DH are shrinking.
Yesterday I predicted the Reds would make these moves today and then make another set of moves when they’re ready to bring up another pitcher in a couple days or so. Now I also need to predict those moves before I win any prizes? This is a pretty tough competition. Can I at least have a chance to see what happens in today’s game, or do I have to predict it now? If there’s no rule against sending Fairchild right back down, that would be my hunch as of this moment, but I’d really prefer to have a few hours to see what unfolds.
They can send Fairchild down immediately.
No prizes for obvious moves.
So, yesterday, when other people were suggesting other possible moves the Reds might be making today, and I was the only person who predicted this specific set of moves would happen today, it’s because it was was just too “obvious” for other people to bother saying it themselves or agreeing with what I’d said. I guess that’s one possible interpretation…
Exactly my thoughts @Steve
Sending the two pitchers out was a obvious move with Law coming back.
Kevin and Steve,
I’m just curious why you didn’t point this out when other people were predicting the Reds would make different moves today, and when I chimed in to ask why we weren’t assuming these would be today’s moves. It would have been great if either of you, or both of you, had joined the discussion to say that my prediction was obviously the best one (especially since I wasn’t 100% sure I was right). I guess you just missed that whole conversation? Or were you too busy to say “J is obviously right about this”?
@ J, honestly I didn’t follow that part of the conversation, and just having some fun. I still think it was obvious, however yes you Called IT!!!
Thanks, Kevin. I’ll take whatever praise I can get at this point, no matter how hollow it may be.
It is possible to dislocate your shoulder by patting yourself on the back too vociferously.
MK,
I think you’re missing the very subtle “maybe I’m not quite as crazy as certain people seem to believe” point I’m making here. I thought these were fairly obvious moves and was surprised that others didn’t see it that way.
In fairness to “J”, there’s a difference between standing up for yourself, and just plain ole’ patting yourself on the back.
Well, J, I’ll recognize you for a good prediction. Take $20 out of petty cash.
Done. I’ll use it to buy a pretzel at a Reds game. I think that’ll pretty much take care of the $20.
Welcome back SF & DL. Glad to see both back.
Atta boy J!
Officially ends the Redleg nation meltdown of who goes and arrives.
No surprises with these moves in regards to the pitchers.
What is surprising to me is Fairchild being recalled, as the Reds need a 5th starter Tuesday. So another roster move will need to be made for that unless Reds going with 4 man rotation that I was unaware of?
Here is some roster hoops through mid September that may happen or makes team better?
Casali DFA – CES up
Votto injured or DFA – Santilian up
Lively back – Weaver DFA
Antone back – Cruz down
Gutierez back – Duarte down
Dunn back – Williamson down
Lodolo back – Abbot down (innings limit to come back at playoff time)
Greene back – Gibaut DFA – nothing against Gibaut I just don’t know who else goes at this point
A lot of puctching help coming if these long 60 day injured guys get healthy
Votto might get injured but he will not be DFA
Thank God you are not the GM.
1000%
Our opener is back when we need him most
The Reds have indicated Santillan will be called up for the road trip. He is a double roster move- 60 man IL so Reds need a 40 man and 26 man and Reds only have 12 pitchers. Sending Fairchild down doesnt do anything on the 40 man spot. Which position player clears both the 26 man and 40 man roster spot when Santillan gets activated?
A.) Casali ( or less likely Maile)
B.) Senzel
C.) Newman
D.) Hunter Greene goes to the 60 and Fairchild goes back down to AAA.
Option A seems like the easiest decision. The other is some sort of trade of Senzel/Newman/someone completely unexpected
The Reds have an open 40 man spot now with todays move due to the DFA of Mills.
I vote Siani to be taken off the 40 man when a spot is needed Unless Tom is correct that there is an opening on the roster. Siani has been passed up by Fairchild and Benson as both can play a decent center field.
I also don’t think Busenitz is long for a roster spot once some of these 60 day pitchers come back. However, I’m not convinced Antone or Dunn make it back this year.
A is the only possibility, assuming they don’t have a spot open on the 40, which I believe they do. Greene will be back in early August at the latest, so he’s not going on the 60, and Senzel nor Newman are getting sent down or dumped.
Votto is not getting DFA and if he did it wouldn’t be to bring up a pitcher. The only way CES is coming up is if Stephenson becomes a full time C again or an injury to Stephenson, Votto, or Steer
Glad Law’s back. Santillan also went back to back days, I would guess he’s back up as early as tomorrow.
I don’t like the Fairchild promotion, mostly because it all but guarantees Benson will be platooned for.
Glad to hear Fairchild got recalled.
Great move but let’s not forget about the most important move that needs to happen.
CES has DH written all over him. Rotating DH’s does not work. It is too weird for guys that are used to playing in the field every day. I predict that Votto will not make a very good DH. Great article recently on how unproductive the rotating DH is. If we want to make a run, CES needs to be the DH on most days. Who cares about his defense. Turn him into a modern-day Edgar Martinez and unleash him on the National Leaugue. It will be a huge statistical advantage over most teams.
Friedl CF
EDLC 3rd
McClain SS
CES DH
Frayley/Steer lf platoon (Have steer in lineup most days rotating in at 3rd and 1st, but only start Frayley versus right handers
India 2nd
Votto 1st (against right handers only until he gets hot)
Stevenson C
Benson Rf
That leaves Senzel as the perfect late innings pinch hitter vs lefties. I would bring back Fairchild as 4th outfielder, late innings pinch hitter and runner.
Casali= bench coach
Newman= trade bait or valuable bench guy
There you go. Let’s roll right on into the playoffs with this lineup.
Question – who is their best defensive 1b? Joey, Steer, CES, other?
I would rank them
1 Steer
2 Votto
3 CES
Please no more Neuman at 1st. He looks lost there.
Ouch – is CES still that rough in the field?
IMO, Stephenson is the best defensive 1B’man on the roster. After that I go with Steer and then a toss up between Votto and CES. I have watched several MiLB games and CES is not a good defensive player at first or third base. Votto is not now, nor has he ever been, a good defensive player. People are quick to point out that he has a Gold Glove to his credit…and I always counter the MLB managers, who are the ones who vote on that award, use popularity/offense. It is not right, but that is very often how it is.
You’re going to have Fraley and Steer platoon, aka go part-time, just so a minor leaguer can hit everyday, and that minor leaguer is going to hit cleanup? You do realize what Steer and Fraley have been doing to major league pitching, right? Where CES has been doing it to minor league pitching?
TBF, today’s lineup has “minor league” players now hitting 2nd and cleanup, and 7th for all purposes.
Read my post, I only start Frayley vs righties. Steer rotates in somewhere every day. Steer starts in left against lefties, rotates in at 3rd and 1st on other days. And yes, you platoon Frayley because he splits against lefties is bad. CES is basically a 1000 OPS vs righties and lefties. Pretty straightforward logic. Did you watch Spring Training. He was by far the best hitter in all of baseball. Not even close.
Hi Soto. Like a lot of what you had to say but I think Votto should platoon 1B/DH with CES once he gets called up (hopefully very soon) and Votto to take the day off when left handers are pitching with Stephenson or someone else Dhing. At Votto’s age more DH time I would think would only help his hitting/repaired body parts. At this point I would try it given his current .152 average.
Who’s the Padre starting pitcher? I still don’t see that.
This is fun. My guess is that trades, emphasis on plural, will clear 40-man spots, so that won’t be an issue.
Next guess is they’re satisfied with TySteve’s health (and Chuckie’s season!) so they go with 2 catchers the final 2 months.
Final big guess is Stu stays, CES arrives and they pick up 2 rental relievers, and juggle the IL to get to the 2 Sept roster spots. Still hoping for Marte and Phillips there but if it’s needed for Stu and CES, fine.
Wild, wild, guess – someone makes them a crazy offer they cannot refuse for one of the current regulars.
Votto DFA’d? Not going to happen. A trade is more likely than a DFA. As for Votto to the IL? If that were to happen again, he should announce that he’s retiring effective immediately. The Reds can’t allow him to spend most of 2023 on the IL and bring him back in 2024. That would be fiscal mismanagement. Krall hasn’t shown himself to be that stupid. As for predicting Mills would be DFA’d today? Who didn’t see that coming? Salazar? Still haven’t come up with a reason with he was ever called up – the warm body theory I’m guessing. Let’s just see if Abbot can win today. Though it’s against a LH’er so Fraley, Votto, and Benson sit with Newman, Senzel, and probably Fairchild taking their place.
So you know who the Padres starter is? Who is it? I don’t see anything posted.
Ah, I checked ESPN. They have Morejon, a reliever who does have some starting experience.
Not too good a year so far. I hope we don’t make him out to look like CY
Benson, Fraley and Votto are in the posted lineup, so far.
ESPN listed the starter as Morejon.
So, I wouldn’t be surprised if Fairchild starts with a LH, in fact, starting on the mound for the Padres.
Morejon is definitely a LH’er so Bell is actually looking forward and sees Morejon as an opener and isn’t playing the handedness game. Outstanding and totally unexpected.
Why does anyone think Votto would retire because he is injured? Also not aure why you assume they would automatically bring him back next year. Giving up the remainder of this year’s salary and the $7 million buyout next year would be insane. If I get injured at my job I am not retiring so the company can save some cash while I heal
Morejon listed as Padre starter on ESPN.
Salazar’s not ready. Mills is just a fill-in. They originally posted that Hopkins would be back, but decided on Fairchild. Good to have Law back! The Reds definitely need him! Farmer is looking tired.