Hey, it’s an actual, legit, interesting, meaningful trade. Can we call it the Winter Meetings now?
The Reds, who apparently do not want to win the NL Central, have dumped their closer:
The #Reds have acquired RHP Noé Ramirez and a player to be named later from the Angels in exchange for RHP Raisel Iglesias and cash. pic.twitter.com/kz3di60IvF
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) December 7, 2020
In essence, the Reds are trading down from Iglesias to Ramirez, getting more/cheaper team control in the process, and a PTBNL. Iglesias, 31 next month, will make $9.125 million this season before hitting free agency, and he projects to probably be really dang good, as he usually is. Note that the Reds also had to include cash in this deal.
Ramirez, 31Â this month, will make a little over $1 million this year in his first of three arbitration years. He’s been a useful reliever in his time with the Angels, but he’s not Iglesias:
Maybe the Reds figure out a way to unlock Ramirez and take him to another level, but it’s more likely he is who he is: a cheap, controlled, useful reliever.
As for the PTBNL? It’s probably not a significant prospect. This time of year, it’s usually a player who is Rule 5 eligible, and is called a PTBNL just in case he gets selected in the draft and you have to pick someone else.
This sure looks like a flat-out salary dump by the Reds, who are also rumored to be out there aggressively shopping Sonny Gray (and who will also be losing Trevor Bauer).