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    Should the Reds pick up Ronald Torreyes?

    Doug Gray 25

    Ronald Torreyes used to be a part of the Cincinnati Reds farm system. Back in 2010 he was a 17-year-old making his professional debut in the now defunct Venezuelan Summer League. He made a laughing stock out of the league, hitting .390/.468/.606 with 23 walks, 23 steals, and 11 strikeouts. It was so impressive that the organization brought him stateside late in the year where he hit .349 for the Arizona League Reds over a three week span. He finished the years final week in the Midwest League with the Dayton Dragons. He returned to Dayton the next year and hit .356. After the season he was traded, along with Dave Sappelt and Travis Wood to the Chicago Cubs for Sean Marshall. Since then he’s been in the Astros, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Angels, and Yankees organizations.

    Since 2015 he’s seen part in the Major Leagues in each season. Over the last three seasons, all with the Yankees, he’s racked up 607 plate appearances and hit .281/.308/.374. What Ronald Torreyes does well is make contact. He’s only struck out in 13% of his Major League plate appearances in his career. The last two seasons he’s hit .292 and .280. But, he also doesn’t walk much – just 13 walks over the last two seasons where he’s accumulated 438 plate appearances.

    In the field, Ronald Torreyes has played second base, third base, and shortstop in the Major Leagues. He’s even gotten into right field for a total of five innings. He’s a utility player, not someone that looks like a future starter. And he’ll be 26-years-old next year – young, but proven in this kind of role.

    For the Cincinnati Reds, does it make sense to pick him up? I will argue that it does. Looking at the 2019 projected roster, there’s not a backup shortstop on it to begin the year. Blake Trahan isn’t likely to make the team. Alex Blandino will likely still be recovering from knee surgery. The team has a clear need for a utility infielder on the roster. Ronald Torreyes isn’t a big, flashy name or player, but he would certainly fit well with what the team needs.

    Doug Gray
    Doug Gray is the owner and operator of this website and has been running it since 2006 in one variation or another.

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    25 Responses

      1. He was already a winner. When he came to the Dragons in 2011 on a pretty good team which included Barnhart, Hamilton, Hayes, Smith and Corcino he was absolutely the player that Sparked them into becoming a very good team. I would sign the guy in a second.

    3. Sounds like a good fit, we need a infield utility guy, especially if Blandino is not ready to go. I would also like to pick up Pedro Alverez to cover the corners, and provide a power left handed bat off the bench.

        1. A veteran lefty power bat would be a good thing to have on the bench. It doesn’t have to be him, but he checks off a lot of the boxes that you’re typically looking for as a reserve.

      2. Hard pass on Alvarez…very confusing why any fan would want him. He was barely in the majors last year with Baltimore. 180 batting average with sub-.700 OPS not to mention awful defense. He’s probably an AL platoon DH type at this point at best.

    5. I think he’d be an instant fan favorite and a good player to bring back into the organization.

    6. He has a great reputation of being a team guy. Many of this year’s Yankee team was very upset when he was sent down. I would be a great pick-up.

      1. I agree that Torreyes would be an excellent addition to the roster. I would trade BobSteve for him right now.

    7. I’m a little torn. He’s arbitration eligible as a super 2, although his salary would be negligible. Similar to Pennington and Gosselin, but younger and at least familiar. If they could get him on a minor league deal or try to pass him through waivers eventually, okay, but don’t really like him taking a 40 man spot. I bet an AL team claims him before the Reds get the chance.

    8. He was DFA’d by the Yankees, so that means they have 7-8 days to trade him, and if no trade, about 48 more hours of going through the waiver wire. Or they could put him on the waiver wire now for that matter. I don’t think the Reds would win a waiver claim. I don’t think he would go through waivers unclaimed.
      The best chance for the Reds would be to lump him in on a Sonny Gray trade. But I don’t think the Yankees would rush to trade Gray in the time frame that they have to do something with Torreyes (up to 10 days). They seem to want to milk all they can from a Gray trade now and not seem as though to want to just trade him and be done with it.
      I was surprised to see Torreyes only had 16 PA’s in his ML career as a pinch hitter. Not much to glean from a .267/.267/.400 line other than he isn’t a bad pinch hitter when called upon, but he doesn’t walk in that situation either though.

    9. Yes the Reds should pick him up given the opportunity. He’d be a good guy to have around and would fill a role the Reds. I liked him when he was with the Reds farm teams.

    11. I don’t think it would be smart to occupy a spot on your 40 man now with a backup infielder that is not already in the organization. Leave that spot open for flexibility, and sign a backup infielder or two in Jan/Feb to a minor league deal. You know, like the Reds have been doing for several years. There’s a reason they’ve been doing it that way, If Torreyes WAS THAT MUCH BETTER than any other backup, it would be a different answer.

      1. Blake Trahan already occupies that spot. Swap them out and you still have an open 40-man spot.

      2. So you mean guys like Pennington and I can’t even remember the other guy’s name. If Torreyes has a good hit tool and can play 3 or 4 spots in the field, pick him up if you can. The only way a team gets better is to have better players on the 25 man roster. If it takes up a spot on the 40 man, the Reds can always fine a way t open up a spot.

    12. Can’t be a worse backup than Cliff Pennington or Philip Gosselin, and is still young enough that he could theoretically improve a little.

      My vote is yes.

    13. if he can play a passable shortstop, then yes. If he really can’t play shortstop for a DL stint or two (say 2 weeks) then I say no. I love the contact rate but the defense at short is very important if he is bench player designated to play for Peraza in a pinch.

    14. Reds made a big mistake in that trade to Cubs. One of worst trades ever. Like Ronald then and now.

    15. Yes, numbers show him to be a very solid backup for SS and very solid utility. We are going to have lots of roster shakeup, likely with trades and FA signings expected; but I hope the Reds claim Torreyes. He is also in his age 26 season.

    17. Cubs got Torreyes for cash. We should’ve spent some money and fill the U role as there is uncertainty of the health of Blandino for the start of 2019. Have a feeling he will do some damage against the Reds in 2019.

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