GOODYEAR, Arizona – One day after the Cincinnati Reds traded Sonny Gray, they continued to tear down their roster by trading All-Star left fielder Jesse Winker and third baseman Eugenio Suárez to the Seattle Mariners on Monday.
In return for trading Winker and Suárez, the Reds reportedly received right-handed starting pitcher Justin Dunn, outfielder Jake Fraley, left-handed pitching prospect Brandon Williamson and a player to be named later.
Lowering player payroll continues to be in the backdrop of the Reds’ offseason plans. Winker is two years from reaching free agency, eligible for arbitration, and Suárez is owed $35 million over the next three seasons with a $15 million club option in 2025.
“This wasn’t just a payroll move,” Reds General Manager Nick Krall said. “This was a move that we looked at from a future standpoint and we also looked at it as a move to bring back some talent right now.”
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It’s not a move that helps the Reds improve their roster for 2022. Winker, who earned his first All-Star nod last year, was one of the league’s best hitters against right-handed pitching. He hit .305 last season with 32 doubles, a career-high 24 homers and 71 RBI.
He was hitting in the batting cages with Joey Votto, “talking about Tik Tok and lefty homers,” when he was summoned to manager David Bell’s office. He met with Bell and General Manager Nick Krall before saying goodbye to his teammates.
“Obviously, it’s part of the business,” Winker said. “It’s what you sign up for when you sign. But I can’t wait to go to Seattle. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about the city, about the team and we’re trying to win. I’m really, really excited about that. Looking forward to competing and I can’t wait to get over there.”
Suárez is one of the league’s premier right-handed sluggers – no Major Leaguer has more homers over the last four years – but he’s struggled in the past two seasons following shoulder surgery. He hit .198 last year with 23 doubles, 31 homers and 79 RBI.
“Right now, I don’t know what to say, but what I feel in my heart is I appreciate everything,” Suárez said. “This is not easy. It’s tough. But I understand and I know this game is like that. It is what it is. I feel so grateful. My family and I, we appreciate everything the Cincinnati Reds did for me, the Queen City did for me.”
Krall refuted the belief the Reds are entering a rebuild, though they’re clearly prioritizing younger talent.
Dunn, 26, owns a 3.94 ERA in 25 career big-league starts. He struck out 49 and walked 29 in 50 1/3 innings last season with a 3.75 ERA. He will be delayed at the start of camp, Krall said, because of a shoulder injury last season, but he will compete for a spot in the rotation.
Fraley, a 26-year-old left-handed hitter, batted .210 last season with seven doubles, nine homers and 36 RBI in 78 games. He had a .374 on-base percentage against right-handed pitching and Krall said he was an “average-to-above defender.”
Williamson was the centerpiece of the trade. He was a second-round pick in 2019 and rated as the No. 5 prospect in the Mariners’ farm system by Baseball America and No. 82 overall in the Top-100 rankings. Williamson had a 3.39 ERA in 19 starts at High-A and Double-A last year.
“We’re really excited to get Brandon Williamson who is a potential starter in Triple-A and will compete for a spot in spring training this year,” Krall said. “We really think Brandon Williamson is going to be on this club. The player to be named later is also a player we like, so it’s not just a throw-in there. We have a couple of months to be able to scout a group of players before we choose one.”
Trade talks between the Reds and Mariners started at 5 p.m. Sunday and were completed before midnight. Medicals were exchanged Monday morning before the deal was officially announced.
“We’re not making trades because we have to,” Krall said. “We’re making trades because it’s best for our long-term outlook of this organization. Sustainability is where we’re going.”
