It’s been a tough offseason to be a Reds fan, as the team continues tearing their payroll roster down to the studs. Since the end of last season, the team has lost Nick Castellanos (opt-out), Michael Lorenzen (free agency), Wade Miley (waivers), Tucker Barnhart (trade), Sonny Gray (trade), Eugenio Suarez (trade), and Jesse Winker (trade).
And today, you can add reliever Amir Garrett to the pile.
Except, unlike the Reds other trades this offseason, this one doesn’t bring back a prospect or young player to dream on. Instead, it’s … 34-year-old lefty Mike Minor? Okay.
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) March 16, 2022
And there’s no financial flexibility to be gained, either: Mike Minor is actually guaranteed at least $11M from here on out ($10M in 2022 plus a $13M club option, $1M buyout in 2023), compared to the $2.2M Garrett is projected to receive via arbitration.
Maybe the Reds are entertaining a trade for Luis Castillo and wanted to ensure that they’d have enough arms to cover the rotation now that Gray is already out the door? I don’t know, to be honest.
Minor is a fairly healthy pitcher, so he will gobble up some innings for Cincinnati, and Garrett had a really rough 2022 campaign, but … I still don’t get. Trading Garrett now is selling WAY low on a 29-year-old reliever, who probably would have been an attractive trade deadline target if he bounced back in the first half of the season. And trading him for a 34-year-old starter that costs more money? I’m befuddled and come back to the idea that there might just be more coming.
Anyway, there will be no love lost for NL Central/Cubs fans, whose favorite teams had more than one run-in with Garrett over the years. Oh, and Báez and Garrett will be in the same division again. So that’s fun.
UPDATE: This helps explain it a bit more from the Royals point of view, at least.
Royals one of teams trying to acquire RHP Frankie Montas from the A’s, sources tell @TheAthletic. https://t.co/kCeQexj9Gu
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 16, 2022
My personal favorite:
Remember that time Javy Baez hobbled up to the plate (with a hurt foot) like he was walking out of the WWE tunnel towards the ring, chirping at Amir Garrett every step of the way, and then just walked it off on one pitch like an absolute boss?
I do.pic.twitter.com/Vm8QWSZcDU
— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) August 16, 2021
Also this one:
Javy Baez records the walk-off hit against Amir Garrett a couple months after a benches clearing incident in Cincinnati
Baez immediately yells at Garrett after the hit, and Garrett continues to yell from his dugout as the Cubs leave the field pic.twitter.com/3BMyssSBJ2
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 27, 2021
And this one:
Remember when Amir Garrett got so tired of the Pirates shit that he just said, screw it, I'm taking them all on? That was wild. pic.twitter.com/OoubzjOQbx
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) March 27, 2020
It goes on.
Amir Garrett calls Anthony Rizzo a "motherfucker" after striking him out, so Javy Baez comes out the dugout with ALL the smoke.
We'll let you make the call on who was in the wrong here pic.twitter.com/jOyU8VskAN
— The Barber’s Chair Network (@BarbersChairNet) May 2, 2021
I have no idea what Amir Garrett said to Rizzo but Javy is having none of it. pic.twitter.com/CYCy8KcMHM
— Sara Sanchez (@BCB_Sara) May 1, 2021
MLB has issued a 7-game suspension to Amir Garrett for "inciting a benches-clearing incident" vs. the Cubs on Saturday.
Javy Báez received a fine. pic.twitter.com/VCbVzQaO6t
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 4, 2021
Anyway, see ya.