July 26th
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Trade: Johnny Cueto and cash considerations to the Kansas City Royals; Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb, and Cody Reed to the Cincinnati Reds
Prospect(s):
John Lamb – LHP – With Finnegan already accruing more than 45 days of service in the big league, he is no longer “prospect eligible” but that doesn’t mean the Reds didn’t acquire quality prospects in the deal. Lamb was once ranked as high as the number 11 prospect in all of baseball, but injuries and ineffectiveness saw him fall all the way to the point he was not even included in the organizational depth chart in Baseball America’s prospect handbook heading into 2015. He has really bounced back this year in Triple-A, with an ERA of just 2.81 and striking out better than a batter an inning. He works in the low 90s with his fastball to go along with a solid change and cutter and even shows the occasional get-me-over curveball. He is probably no better than a number five starter, but still has moments that flash why he was once considered one of the very best pitching prospects in all of baseball.
Cody Reed – LHP – A second round pick out of a Mississippi community college, Reed has a fastball that can work into the mid-90s along with a pair of quality secondary offerings. His first two seasons saw ERAs of 6.07 and 5.46, but a mechanical adjustment that helped him repeat his delivery has produced great results, dropping his ERA to 2.53 over two levels this season. He has also reduced his walk rate each year, from 7.0 to 3.9 down to 2.4 this year. He has not developed a great strikeout pitch yet, but with continued improvement he could develop into a quality third starter.
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