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Now that the World Series is over, the major-league Hot Stove has been officially lit up. The roster must be set for the Rule 5 draft by November 20, so the Reds made a few moves to clear some space. They placed a number of players at the bottom of the roster on the waiver wire, with some getting picked up and others getting outrighted.
Chad Wallach, the young catcher who came to the Reds with Anthony Desclafani in the Mat Latos deal some years ago, was claimed by his original Marlins. With Devin Mesoraco still under contract for another year, Tucker Barnhart recently signing a modest contract extension, and Stuart Turner successfully acquired through the Rule 5 process, Wallach didn’t have a place with the ballclub. He had an uninspiring year in Louisville and made his debut with the Reds this season, but adios.
Zach Vincej was also claimed off waivers today, though by the Mariners. He also made his debut this year with the Reds. But they have a number of cromulent infielders with Jose Peraza, Scooter Gennett, Alex Blandino, and Dilson Herrera, so he also got squeezed. The Mariners have tried a number of times to get Zack Cozart from the Reds, so it looks like they settled on spinning the B-side instead.
Patrick Kivlehan and Deck McGuire both got through waivers without being claimed. They have been outrighted to Louisville. Kivlehan spent the whole season with the Reds, though he only got 204 PAs. He OPS’d .703 and played five different defensive positions, but he’s basically a poor man’s Adam Duvall. So, squeezed.
Deck McGuire had himself the best season of his professional career in 2017. He spent most of the year in AA with Pensacola, posting a 2.79 ERA in 168 innings. He earned himself a September call-up with that performance, wherein he threw 13.2 very good innings. But he is 28 years old. He made it through waivers, so no other team really wanted him on their 40-man, either.
The Reds have a number of top prospects who will need to be added to the 40-man roster in order to protect them from the Rule 5 draft, so I expect to see a few more of these kinds of moves over the next few weeks.