Red Reposter - Vincej, Votto, and trade scenarios

The 2016 Arizona Fall League has come to a close, and one Reds prospect had a particularly noteworthy performance. Zach Vincej was named to MLB Pipeline’s All-AFL team. For fans familiar with Vincej, they’ll be surprised to find out what led to this selection.

Vincej earned his spot on the team primarily for his effectiveness at the plate. In 20 games he hit .352/.425/.676 with 4 HR and 18 RBI. Those numbers left Vincej tied for second in HR and RBI, third in OBP, first in SLG, and third in BA. His 1.101 OPS was second in the league, trailing only Yankees prospect Gleyber Torres.

The twenty-five year old Vincej was a 37th round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in the 2012 MLB Draft. Last season he appeared in 121 games for Pensacola hitting .281/.329/.378 with 3 HR and 47 RBI. As As C. Trent Rosecrans notes, Vincej has primarily been known for his glove. He was chosen as the best defensive shortstop in minor league baseball last season.

Here is a list of how other Reds players performed in Arizona:

• Barrett Astin: 0-1 with a 3.21 ERA, 8 SO, and 7 BB in 14 IP
• Evan Mitchell: 1-1 with a 5.52 ERA, 13 SO, and 5 BB in 14.2 IP
• Nick Routt: 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA, 12 SO, and 3 BB in 12 IP
• Seth Varner: 1-2 with a 7.11 ERA, 14 SO, and 3 BB in 19 IP
• Brandon Dixon: .333/.429/.550 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in 60 AB
• Chad Wallach: .250/.320/.441 with 3 HR and 10 RBI in 68 AB

In other news, yesterday marked the six year anniversary of Joey Votto winning the 2010 NL MVP award. You remember that season don’t you? Votto hit .324/.424/.600 with 37 HR and 113 RBI. That production helped the Reds finish the season 91-71, and they secured the NL Central crown. If there is one thing all Reds fans can agree on for Thanksgiving, it’s that we’re thankful Joey Votto plays for the Reds.*

You’ll likely need something to distract you from certain family members over the next few days. Why not check out the In Play, Pod(cast)? They’re currently running through offseason previews, and today our very own Wick Terrell hopped on to talk about the Reds. This episode also features discussions about the Phillies and Dodgers.

Yesterday, Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors touched on a question about the Reds during a live chat. In particular, he was asked whether the team should be shopping Dan Straily and/or Anthony DeSclafani this offseason. Click the link for his answer (the question is asked at the 3:08 mark), but he does believe teams might be willing to “overpay” for one of these two.

*This opinion is not held by several prominent Facebook commenters.