TODAY : Thompson has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Double-A Chattanooga, the Reds announced. MAY 23 : The Reds announced Thursday that theyve designated outfielder for a signment in order to create 40-man roster space for righty , whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Louisville. Kennedy will take the 26-man roster spot of reliever , whos being placed on the 15-day injured list due to tightne s in his right triceps. Thompson appeared in 17 games for the Reds but received only 18 plate appearances. Hes among the fastest players in MLB if not the fastest but has long had struggles at the plate, thus relegating him to a defensive replacement and pinch-running role. He went 2- Isaac Mattson Jersey for-18 with a double and five steals in his small handful of plate appearances but also punched out a glaring 11 times (61.1%). A first-round pick by the Rangers in 2017, Thompson was a multi-sport star and legitimate football prospect as well prior to his selection and the signing of a $2.1MM bonus out of the draft. Hes now seen time in parts of three MLB seasons but is just a .232/.273/.295 hitter (58 wRC+) with a huge 32% strikeout rate and just a 4.2% walk rate. Thompsons speed is off the charts, and he showed a bit of pop with 16 minor league big flies in 2021 and another 14 homers in 2022. However, Thompson has still struggled to refine his approach at the plate even in the upper minors. Hed been playing with Cincinnatis Double-A affiliate at the time of his DFA and, in 37 trips to the plate, carried a .200/.243/.314 slash. Thompson does have a .284/.347/.440 output in 145 Triple-A games, but that comes out to around league-average when adjusting for the electric run-scoring environment in the Pacific Coast League. This is Thompsons fifth DFA since last August. Hes yet to make it through waivers. The Royals claimed him off waivers from Texas but subsequently lost him to the Reds in October. When Cincinnati designated Thompson for a signment in late December, the Yankees put in a claim only to DFA him again just weeks later. The Twins claimed Thompson but, like the Yankees, designated him for a signment after only a couple weeks, at which point the Reds claimed him a second time. Hes been with Cincinnati since that point but will now be traded or placed on waivers yet again within the next five days. Kennedy, 29, has pitched in parts of two big league seasons: 2018 with the Padres and 2023 with the Reds. Hell now get a second stint in Cincinnati and hope for better results than he turned in last year, when he was tagged for 13 runs in 18 innings. Kennedy has spent the 2024 season in the Louisville rotation but been roughed up for a 6.86 ERA in 40 2/3 frames (eight starts). His 18.9% strikeout is below-average by around five percentage points, but his excellent 4.7% walk rate is nearly half the league-average rate. Kennedy will add some length to the bullpen in place of Pagan, who inked a surprising two-year, $16MM deal with the Reds this offseason one that allows him the opportunity to opt out at seasons end. It was a surprise fit, given Cincinnatis homer-happy stadium and Pagans longstanding penchant for big home run totals but also big strikeout rates. True to form, Pagan has already served up four taters in 19 1/3 innings of work (1.86 HR/9) but also punched out a substantial 30.5% of his opponents. Hes sitting on a 4.19 ERA to begin his Reds tenure, but his season will now be paused for at least the next couple weeks as he lets that ailing triceps mend. Dillon Peters Jersey
Reds Outright Bubba Thompso Reds Outright Bubba Thompso
1 Replies, 105 ViewsUsers browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)