Each year minor leaguers hit the free agent market after six years with an organization and not being added to the teams 40-man roster. Some guys re-sign with their original team, but some guys choose to head to the market and find a new employer that offers them more money or a better opportunity, or both. The Reds signed quite a few guys that were out there after last season and several of them are really making a difference in 2014. Today I wanted to look at three guys who began their seasons in Pensacola who have really put things together for the Reds.
After spending several years in the Kansas City Royals system after being traded from the Diamondbacks years earlier, Rey Navarro opted for free agency and wound up signing with the Cincinnati Reds through the 2014 season. He had spent most of the previous two seasons in Double-A with a small 17 game spot in Triple-A during 2012. The Reds sent him to Pensacola to play shortstop and second base for the Blue Wahoos. In the first half of the season he hit .271/.336/.459 with 27 walks and 32 strikeouts. That got him promoted to Louisville in the second half of the year, where he has also been splitting his time between shortstop and second base. With the Bats he has picked up where he left off, hitting .296/.342/.444 with eight walks and 11 strikeouts. For his overall season he has hit .278/.337/.455 with 27 doubles, 2 triples, 11 home runs, 35 walks and 43 strikeouts in 408 plate appearances. The 24-year-old middle infielder has put himself in a good spot moving forward with a strong season and a good transition to Triple-A.
Another former Diamondback prospect was brought in by the Reds when they signed Ross Perez in November for the 2014 season. He had spent the previous two seasons in Double-A where he had showed solid on-base skills and walked more than he had struck out, but struggled to hit for any power as he had just 14 doubles and 2 home runs in 580 plate appearances. The Reds sent the catcher to Pensacola where he has once again walked more than he struck out and has hit an impressive .335/.393/.472. The largest difference this year versus past seasons is that he has started to hit for a lot more power than in the past. He has 243 plate appearances in 2014 and needs just two doubles for a career high, one home run for a career high and already has a career high in triples. He has been platooned on the season, getting 84% of his plate appearances against right handers. Still, he has been nothing short of outstanding offensively this season.
Another catcher brought in, this one rather close to spring training was Bryan Anderson, who signed in late January. The former Cardinal has limited big league experience with the Cardinals and the White Sox. The Reds initially sent him to Pensacola where he played in just 21 games, hitting .343/.427/.643 with 11 walks and 14 strikeouts before getting promoted to Triple-A Louisville. He has split time there with Tucker Barnhart, getting into 34 games since his promotion. While he hasn’t hit as good there as he did in Pensacola, he’s still hit very well, posting a .291/.366/.479 line with 14 walks and 21 strikeouts. Between the two stops the 27-year-old catcher has hit .310/.390/.540 in 214 plate appearances.
Adding middle infield depth and catching depth in free agency is always a smart move by an organization, but they did a very good job in adding these three guys during the offseason. All three have come out and performed very well and put the organization in an interesting spot heading into the offseason as far as retaining them or even adding them to the 40-man roster. Most times minor league free agents are simply organizational depth to help fill out rosters, but some times you get former top prospects from other organizations like these three guys who get a new look and turn things around and take a step forward in their respective careers.