Time to Cash In

Mat Latos/AP Images

The late basketball season overshadowed the busy MLB off-season which brought some important changes and trades such as the Cincinnati Reds who have had some major player movements.


By Thomas Rende

This off-season in baseball transcended anything we've seen before. Having basketball in full swing so late into their season stole a lot of the thunder that baseball gets during their December off-season. The MLB offseason was filled with late signings that eclipsed some of the craftier trades made by playoff pushing teams. The Cincinnati Reds made one of these trades when they pushed for Mat Latos. By attaining Latos they were forced to put in some first round prospects, which gave the trade some interesting pieces.

Let's talk about what the Reds gained in Latos before we go into who they gave up in order to acquire him. They gained a young ace who can be placed into the second slot of the rotation and be effective for years to come. He and Jonny Cueto make a tandem that can go head to head with that of the Brewers and the Cardinals. Most people disagree with the effectiveness that he can have because of the way he pitched last year; He was 9-14 with a 3.47 ERA, which is solid but not worthy of "Ace" status in most people's books. We don't subject ourselves to these numbers alone. Having the ability to look into deeper analysis we can see how strong of a pitcher Latos really is. He threw for around 190 innings in 31 starts. The aspect of durability can't go unnoticed for the Reds. They had a problem with Edinson Volquez and his ability to stay on the field. Durability wasn't his only strength; Latos was able to post a 1.184 WHIP with a S0/9 (Strikeouts per nine innings) of 8.6. The combination of the two shows a power pitcher who has high control. These two numbers show that even though he'll be moving to a hitter friendly park, he should still succeed. 

The few pieces that the Reds gave up for Latos were high-end prospects in their farm system. The first was Yonder Alonso. Alonso was a first baseman that was converted to leftfield in order for him to get some playing time in the majors while Joey Votto manned first. The move didn't work. He played horrendous defense and almost made Daniel Murphy look adequate in the outfield. Having Votto gave the Reds the ability to move Alonso but it's a risky move considering Votto will be a free agent in the near future.


Alsonso wasn't the only highly rated prospect traded, the Reds were forced to surrender Yasmani Grandal who was rated 53 in Baseball America's top prospect list. Grandal tore it up in his quick rise through the farm system but was stuck behind 2007 first round pick Devin Mesoraco. This gave Reds GM Wayne Jockety the ability to move these two prospects. The third player was reliever Brad Boxberger who was said to have been the final piece in making the trade happen. Boxberger pitched phenomenally in his stay in Double A and Triple A, posting a .968 WHIP with a S0/9 of 13.5. Many people close to the team said that he had a strong chance to make it to the majors in 2012 and that he would provide great depth in lieu of an injury, such as one to closer Ryan Madsen. 

The trade gave the Reds a major stepping-stone in reaching the playoffs but if they slip and fall, it may hurt more than their playoff chances this year.