Reds Welcome An Intriguing New Player Via Trade

 

The Cincinnati Reds are on the lookout for promising young, cheap players, as they are currently in rebuild mode.

The Texas Rangers have Marcus Semien and Corey Seager firmly entrenched as their middle infield starters, and they are likely going to give third base to young thumper Josh Jung.

First base is also covered by Nathaniel Lowe.

Adolis Garcia, Leody Taveras, Brad Miller and Ezequiel Duran are also projected to receive lots of at-bats in the outfield.

In short, there is no space for Nick Solak to get consistent playing time.

As a consequence, the Reds, looking to inject some talent to their roster, are taking a chance on the out-of-favor infielder/outfielder.

“Welcome to Reds Country, Nick Solak! The #Reds have acquired the infielder/outfielder from the Rangers in exchange for cash considerations,” the Reds tweeted on Thursday.

Welcome to Reds Country, Nick Solak!

The #Reds have acquired the infielder/outfielder from the Rangers in exchange for cash considerations. pic.twitter.com/kYMQpMQn4n

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) November 10, 2022

 

Solak Hasn’t Been Productive Since The 2019 Season

Since his promising rookie season in 2019, Solak hasn’t been the same.

That year, he slashed .293/.393/.491 with a solid .884 OPS.

In three seasons since that year, Solak has failed to replicate that form, with an OPS below .700 in each year.

The 2019 season, it’s worth pointing out, was played with “live” balls that clearly favored offense, altering lots of stat lines around baseball.

Solak may be a product of that ball, because he hasn’t looked good since then.

In any case, he is still just 27 and is a good target by the Reds if the cost is only cash.

He can play all over the diamond, including center field, but with the exception of shortstop.

Perhaps he can blossom into a super-utility player in Cincinnati, but his swing needs a lot of work.