Final evening the Cincinnati Reds made one other commerce, this time by buying Gavin Lux from the Los Angeles Dodgers in change for a prospect and a 2025 draft decide. We wrote about that right here if you wish to learn somewhat extra element about Lux. A bit after the commerce was introduced, President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall met with the native media to debate the commerce. Beneath is your entire transcript of the session – with a word that the questions requested have been paraphrased, whereas all the solutions from Krall are precisely as said.
When the Dodgers signed Hyeseong Kim, did that give the membership the concept they may get Gavin Lux for an honest return?
We talked about it a few weeks in the past. We knew he was out there and we knew they had been making an attempt to get any person else – we didn’t know precisely who. We talked about it internally. Jeff Graupe (Vice President, Assistant GM, Participant Acquisition and Technique) did an excellent job of conserving tabs with them on the place they had been with it and it happened over the past in all probability handful of days. Principally since they signed (Kim).
How does he match positionally into what you guys are doing?
When you take a look at our staff final yr, individuals argue that we had too many infielders to start the yr and clearly that didn’t play itself out. We had been final in WAR in third base, first base, and DH. So if he is available in, and we take a look at him as a man who’s going to play some second base, play some outfield, play some DH in spring coaching – we’ll additionally give him a take a look at second, third, and quick and see the place it’s and see the place he’s defensively with all these positions. We predict he’s a high quality left-handed hitter that simply lengthens our lineup out.
Does that imply McLain in heart extra?
No, we’ll determine that out in spring coaching. Simply with the ability to add a value managed left-handed hitter that has hit nicely towards right-handed pitching. There’s an fascinating article at Fangraphs that Jay Jaffe wrote about him and a number of the adjustments he made within the second half, which was fascinating. Simply making an attempt to swing more durable, do some extra injury. I feel he had the thirteenth highest wRC+ within the second half. With him it’s only a man that we really feel has an opportunity to return in and lengthen that lineup out.
Did you’ve got eyes on him within the second half?
We did. We noticed him within the second half. We’ve bought guys that scout video games, and our analytic guys as nicely. We undoubtedly had eyes on him.
Do you guys envision needing extra bats than Gavin Lux? Are you continue to on the lookout for extra offense?
Yr. If we will add any person to higher our membership, we’re going to have a look at it. We’re going to have a look at any methods we to proceed to make this membership the most effective we presumably can.
It appears to be like like simply doing again of the serviette math that you just guys is perhaps approaching, roughly, your funds. How a lot flexibility do you’ve got left?
We’ve got somewhat bit, not a ton. I feel we’re simply form of working by that proper now. We checked out buying and selling the draft decide saved us some cash there as a substitute of buying and selling a prospect and selecting a participant. We are able to put that into Main League payroll as nicely.
How a lot do you assume the knee damage (torn ACL) performed into his gradual begin apart from the change he made?
Clearly coming off of an ACL tear and lacking the entire yr you’re going to have some ups and downs. It in all probability performed some. I haven’t talked to him – I do know Brad (Meader – Senior Vice President, Basic Supervisor) and Tito (Francona) talked to him. However I feel that you just’re hoping that’s a part of it. He’s a man with actually good upside. Even nonetheless with the place he’s proper now, he nonetheless has some room to run to get higher.
His pace took a dip after his damage. Do you see that final yr was perhaps getting that one yr again or simply somebody getting older and slower?
I feel when you’ve got leg accidents it’s going to gradual you down somewhat bit, unsure he’s going to return again to being the burner that he was. However on the identical time you by no means know, a few of these guys it takes a short time and so they get that pace again as soon as they get extra snug on their legs.
With the TV scenario taking part in out because it has, and the way it’s seemingly saved quite a lot of groups from doing a lot how do you assume you guys stack up inside the division the place all however one staff of the opposite 4 haven’t actually added something from the skin?
We’ve bought an excellent division. The Brewers had been actually good final yr. The Cubs have added some gamers. The Cardinals nonetheless have some good gamers. The Pirates made some additions, clearly they’ve their pitching employees, and so they added Horowitz that they added from Toronto. We glance it as we’ve bought about six extra weeks of the offseason left and we’re going to attempt to do the most effective we will to enhance this membership.
Do you envision Lux presumably taking part in within the outfield in any respect?
Like I stated earlier than we’re going to have a look at him at second base, the outfield, DH, some shortstop and third base in spring coaching and see what works and what doesn’t. It’s going to type itself out in spring coaching the place finest everybody suits to enter the season.
