The trade deadline is just a few minutes away, and a flurry of deals have taken place in the last couple of hours.
As contending teams missed out on Luis Castillo and Frankie Montas in the last few days, they are still in talks with the San Francisco Giants regarding Carlos Rodon.
The Minnesota Twins, however, were able to strike a deal for a solid pitcher to fortify their rotation: Cincinnati Reds‘ right-hander Tyler Mahle will now be in the thick of a playoff race for the AL Central leaders.
At 54-48, the Twins needed some rotation upgrades after suffering some injuries.
They are only one game ahead of the Cleveland Guardians for the division lead, so Mahle and his 3.60 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) will certainly help.
His ERA is 4.40, but the Twins have better infield defense than the Reds when everybody is healthy: that should help Mahle’s numbers considerably.
Mahle Has Produced Great Numbers In The Past
The talented 27-year-old righty had a 3.59 ERA in 2020 and a 3.75 mark in 2021, showing he can handle a mid-rotation spot.
His 25.9 percent strikeout rate suggests he is very good at missing bats.
“The Cincinnati #Reds received three of the #Mariners top 5 prospects for Luis Castillo, and three of the #Twins top 14 prospects in the Tyler Mahle trade. They could be dangerous in a couple of years,” MLB insider Bob Nightengale tweeted.
The Cincinnati #Reds received three of the #Mariners top 5 prospects for Luis Castillo, and three of the #Twins top 14 prospects in the Tyler Mahle trade. They could be dangerous in a couple of years.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 2, 2022
Overall, it wasn’t a bad deadline for the Reds considering that they were highly unlikely to extend both Castillo and Mahle.
They focused on stockpiling young prospects who could potentially give them six years of team control.
According to The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans, the Reds received Spencer Steer, Christian Encarncion-Strand, and Steven Hajjar from the Twins.
#Reds getting Spencer Steer, Christian Encarncion-Strand, and Steven Hajjar
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) August 2, 2022
Overall, we can say the Reds are loading up on assets for the future.
Mahle, on the other hand, will help the Twins rotation get over the hump.
NEXT: Cincinnati Reds Are Clearing House Before MLB Trade Deadline