Dodgers send Puig, Kemp, Wood, Farmer to Reds in seven-player trade
by Rowan Kavner
Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood and Kyle Farmer are heading to Cincinnati.
The Dodgers made a seven-player trade, acquiring infielder Jeter Downs, right-handed pitcher Josiah Gray and right-handed pitcher Homer Bailey from the Reds in exchange for the four players and cash considerations. As a condition of waiving his 10-and-5 rights, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Bailey will be granted his release.
Friedman noted how the deal helped address the Dodgers’ surplus in the outfield and rotation while providing financial flexibility going forward and strengthening the Dodgers’ system. In Downs and Gray, the Dodgers acquired two of the Reds’ top 20 prospects according to MLB.com’s latest rankings.
“We are in position right now where we still feel like we have a really good team, but feel like we want to continue to add to it before we get to Spring Training,” Friedman said. “What exactly that looks like, I’m not sure yet.”
Downs, 20, was the Reds’ first-round pick (№32 overall) in 2017 and spent last season at Single-A Dayton, where he hit .257 with 13 home runs, 23 doubles, 47 RBI and 37 stolen bases in 120 games. Last season, Downs appeared in 73 games at second base (71 starts) and 43 at shortstop (41 starts). He was ranked the Reds’ №7 overall prospect prior to the trade.
“Jeter obviously went out in the Midwest League and had a really strong performance, especially for a high school bat in his first full season,” Friedman said. “We really like his chances to stay up the middle defensively and impact the game in a lot of different ways.”
Gray, who’s celebrating his 21st birthday today, was Cincinnati’s second round selection (№72 overall) in 2018. The right-hander spent his first year of professional baseball at Rookie-level Greenville in the Appalachian League and went 2–2 with a 2.58 ERA (15 ER/52.1 IP) in 12 starts. Gray struck out 59 batters and walked just 17 while posting a WHIP of 0.88.
He was a player Friedman said the Dodgers liked in the draft, particularly considering how seamlessly Gray transitioned in college from position player to pitcher. Friedman said Gray’s arm strength and athleticism put him in a position to capture his upside.
“The fact his strike-throwing is already in place, he’s got really good feel which is really impressive for a guy with such limited pitching experience,” Friedman said.
Of course, the offseason is still young.
As Friedman and the Dodgers consider other ways to bolster the roster before Spring Training, catcher will be at the forefront. Friedman called the position “obviously something that we still need to address.”
In the outfield, the Dodgers’ current crew now includes Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, Kiké Hernández, Chris Taylor, Alex Verdugo and Andrew Toles.
“Obviously losing guys like Yasiel and Matt are never easy when it comes to your outfield, but again we feel like we still have depth in those areas,” Friedman said. “We were obviously able to gain some flexibility.”
Kemp, 34, hit .290 with 25 home runs and 85 RBI in 146 games last year, his first as a Dodger since playing in Los Angeles from 2006–14. Kemp was named to his third All-Star team in 2018 and first since 2012 with the Dodgers.
Puig, 28, spent his entire career in Los Angeles after being signed out of Cuba in 2012. The mercurial right fielder hit .267 with 23 homers, 63 RBI and 15 stolen bases during the 2018 campaign, his sixth as a Dodger.
In his career, Puig has batted .279 with 108 home runs and 331 RBI, while playing primarily right field. He finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year vote in 2013 and was named to his only All-Star team in 2014. He hit .300/.375/.480 in the 2018 playoffs.
“We wish him the best and feel like we’ve got some young guys that have earned an opportunity to play and that we feel like have a chance to really impact the team as well,” Friedman said. “But again, trades could’ve happened in different forms that would’ve involved other guys being traded, but this is the way it happened to play out.”
Wood, 27, was acquired by the Dodgers just before the 2015 trade deadline and went 31–20 with a 3.46 ERA (167 ER/434.2 IP) in 86 games (74 starts) for Los Angeles. He was named to his first All-Star team in 2017 and finished that season going 16–3 with a 2.72 ERA. He started Game 4 of the 2017 World Series and allowed just one run in 7 2/3 innings in two games during that Fall Classic vs. Houston. Wood had a 3.68 ERA in 2018, pitching both as a starter and reliever. The North Carolina native pitched out of the bullpen for the Dodgers during the 2015 and 2018 Postseasons.
Farmer, 28, was drafted by the Dodgers in 2013 out of the University of Georgia and made his Major League debut on July 30, 2017. In two seasons with Los Angeles, Farmer hit .250 (22-for-88) in 59 games, primarily at third base.
“If you look at our rotation and outfield four hours ago, it was a situation that I think was not a functional roster with the depth that we had all concentrated at the Major League level,” Friedman said. “We had a lot of different conversations involving a lot of different guys, and this was the deal we feel made the most sense. It does add some flexibility, which is helpful, but again we’re trying to put together the best roster that we can to win a World Series.”
In a busy day that also included the Dodgers’ official signing of reliever Joe Kelly, the moves made provide the Dodgers space both on the roster and financially to continue to deal.
“I think there’s a lot of time left that we will use to kind of work through how to take the existing group that we have and make it better,” Friedman said. “But feel really good about where we are right now and look forward to continuing to add to it.”
