The Cincinnati Reds have claimed outfielder Tyler Goeddel off of waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies. The team then optioned him to Triple-A. To create room for him on the 40-man roster the Reds sent Anthony DeSclafani to the 60-day disabled list.
Tyler Goeddel spent the entire 2016 season at the big league level with the Phillies as a Rule 5 draft pick. He struggled at the plate, getting limited action during the season. In 234 plate appearances he hit .192/.258/.291 with 17 walks and 52 strikeouts.
In the 2015 season with the Montgomery Biscuits he hit .279/.350/.433 with 48 walks and 98 strikeouts in 533 at the Double-A level. He showed a solid all around set of tools with good speed and the ability to play all three outfield spots at the minor league level. With the Phillies he only played the corner outfield spots, with most of that coming in left field.
He’s a former supplemental 1st round pick, taken 41st overall in the 2011 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. Coming out of high school teams expected him to put on some muscle to fill out of his frame, lose some of his speed and find more power. That didn’t really happen as he’s still listed at 6′ 4″ and 180 lbs.
Tyler Goeddel has never really hit for much power, topping seven home runs just one time in five professional seasons (2015 with Double-A Montgomery). In the minor leagues he always put up strong stolen base numbers, stealing 20+bags every year and 30 in two different seasons. That didn’t translate in the Majors as he stole just three bases over 92 games in 2016.
It’s a nice pick up for the Reds of a guy who just turned 24-years-old and has some talent. Being able to option him to Triple-A will provide him with the ability to play every day, something he was unable to do last year. There will be some sort of trickle-down effect on the roster with the Bats as they pick up a new player.