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    Stuart Fairchild (Photo: Doug Gray)
    Photo: Doug Gray

    Reds trade Stuart Fairchild, Packy Naughton, Josh VanMeter at deadline

    Doug Gray 34

    The Cincinnati Reds made some trades on Monday afternoon right as the trade deadline was set to expire. The team picked up outfielder Brian Goodwin from the Los Angeles Angels and then made a move to acquire right-handed reliever Archie Bradley from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Reds also received cash from Arizona in the deal. Cincinnati sent out left-handed prospect Packy Naughton and a player to be named later in the deal with the Angels. In the move with Arizona the Reds sent Josh VanMeter and outfield prospect Stuart Fairchild.

    To Recap:

    Reds acquired:

    • Brian Goodwin – Outfielder (MLB)
    • Archie Bradley – Reliever (MLB)
    • Cash (undisclosed amount)

    Reds Traded:

    • Josh VanMeter – Utilityman (MiLB)
    • Stuart Fairchild – Outfielder (MiLB)
    • Packy Naughton – Lefty Starter (MiLB)
    • Player to be named later

    Since we’re here at RedsMinorLeagues.com we’re going to focus more on the guys that were traded away. Josh VanMeter has been back-and-forth between the big league club and Prasco Park this year. After a solid, but unspectacular season in Cincinnati last season, he struggled this year at the Major League level. The lefty can-play-almost-anywhere guy hit .059, going 2-34 this season with Cincinnati with a double and a home run.

    Stuart Fairchild has been at Prasco Park this year, but has not been called up to Cincinnati. The #8 prospect in the organization can play all three outfield spots and is considered an above-average defender. Last season in the second half he made big strides at the plate, really cutting down on how often he struck out. Reports out of Prasco was that he had continued developing there and was looking good. He’s not that far away from being able to be a useful big leaguer and he’s got starter potential as a good defender and solid hitter with sneaky pop in his bat.

    Packy Naughton was one of the organizations top left-handed pitching prospects. With that said, he fell just outside of the Top 25 rankings. Naughton could be a back end of the rotation caliber starter, but there’s not a ton of wiggle room on his stuff, which is solid across the board but nothing really stands out. He throws plenty of strikes and can mix things up well.

    As far as the acquisitions – both players are under contract for 2021, and Goodwin is also under contract for 2022. Both players make the Cincinnati Reds better right now. Goodwin has been an above-average hitter this year and for his career. He’s not a “game changer” so to speak, but he’s an upgrade to the roster without question. Bradley could be a bit of a game changer, though. The bullpen has been a big weakness for the Reds this year and his track record suggests he’s a big upgrade. You never really know with relievers, but he does all the things you want a good reliever to do.

    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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    34 Responses

    2. Ive enjoyed following all three players, though, in today’s game, as much as I like Fairchild, it’s hard to see a team starting him given the fringe pop in his bat. 4th OF or a platoon guy is his likely role, don’t you think? Unless JVM becomes a poor man’s Justin Turner, and Naughton becomes an Amir Garrett, we gave up decent if not above average players for a couple of controlled MLers. I’m taking both deals. Win now!

    3. They’ve managed to make this train wreck worse.

      They should have traded Suarez before January. Then, they’d have plenty of young talent available.

    4. once again the worst front office for the millionth year in a row. We traded Packy Naughton? We got another outfielder? Smh.

      1. Somehow after trades like these I envision the Reds to be the little brother getting fleeced by his big brothers on baseball card trades.

      2. Naughton is a fringe prospect. A nice fringe prospect but still a long shot to make much impact. Remember Ben Lively. When we traded him, you’d have thought we gave away Verlander.

    5. I thought they could trade only players on either the active roster or the alternate site. Was Naughton there?

    6. Theme of deadline, across baseball, seemed to be teams dealing away prospects that would need to be added to 40-man at years end for short-term controllable major league guys.

      Just don’t see Reds keeping Fairchild, Naughton on the 40-man and VanMeters spot was on the fringe.

    7. Only the Reds would go all in with JV manager. A good place to start at the deadline would have been to fire Bell and trade Votto. The Reds will never win consistently with either one playing prominent roles in the organization. These deals did nothing but give away more potential future help in an attempt to gain the 8th seed in the playoffs which I feel is a long shot at best. It’s absolutely embarrassing to be a reds fan these days. They don’t even try to be anything more that idiotic anymore.

      1. Padres have been rebuilding for 10-12 years so that is different. White Sox are a fair comparison and always seem to pull a rabbit out of the hat and be close to contending. Yet, they are not really better than the Reds overall. Very similar orgs IMO. Cleveland is the model. Trade your vets. For example, trade Castillo because you know exactly who and what to expect in return that will produce a winner. The As and Rays are incredible In their own right. If the Reds fail to reach the playoffs Bell has to go the first day of the offseason and Williams and Krall are on the hot seat.

      2. Kevin, I agree on all points. Reds almost had Robert, but got nipped by a few million. Senzel not holding down a spot is ridiculously costly in terms of team development. Greene, a generational uber talent on delay also impacts comparison. Williams has to be frustrated, not to mention Bob.

    8. Last year I disliked losing Scott Moss of the players traded and this year Naughton. Both should become successful Big League starting pitchers. Hard to give up gods lefty pitching in fact both are as good as Miley now.

      2. I think what is more interesting is that SD gave up on Trammell after just one year, especially after reconfiguring his swing.

        As for trading our lefties, This I completely agree with, as the Reds somehow seem to trade the more limited commodities, left handed pitchers, going back years. Keeping Reed was a failure, but getting the number eight prospect from the Rays is not too bad. Moss and Naughton could have ok careers, but aren’t really impact players. But point well taken. With all the journeyman LH relievers out there scuffling in the ML, trading from a shallow well doesn’t help that arena.

    9. I am 32, and a life long Reds fan. I do believe that has ended this year. They are the most inept organization in professional sports. They cant decide if they want to rebuild or go for it, hold on to prospects or trade em all, are they small market or not, should we use analytics? They are always late to whatever party they want to join. The TB Rays have given you the golden standard for small market success, the Indians/Brewers/Twins have shown how to operate on a budget. Yet here we are, another year with the Reds hovering 5-10 games below .500, not willing to sell on players that have current value to other teams, with almost 0 future value to Reds.

      1. The only caveat to this is that I think it’s a different Cincinnati franchise that deserves to be named worst in all of pro sports.

        1. @KyWilson

          This is also well-stayed:
          “ They cant decide if they want to rebuild or go for it, hold on to prospects or trade em all, are they small market or not, should we use analytics?”

      2. Yet Kyle, this is also the front office that outbid everyone for Derek Johnson, including and especially his own team the Brewers, our rival. They brought in Boddy and Cotham to revolutionize the pitching at Both ML and MiL levels. They have gone all in on analytics, which was highly praised as progressive. So, in defense of the front office, Williams and Krall are acting upon the direction of ownership. Win now.

      3. I agree. I’m done as well. I’m gonna fined a team who not only wants to win, but tries to win as well, not just say it and then do the exact opposite. The Reds are the new Cubs and at this rate, it’ll be another hundred years before they even sniff winning on a regular basis.

    10. It is interesting that Taylor Trammel is the highest rated prospect traded at the two last trade deadlines. Both trades involving Indian pitchers.

        1. He won’t have much chance in Seattle as their three best OF prospects are elite, Lewis, Martinez and Kelenic, who they completely fleeced from the Mets. The Padres tried to fix his swing but gave up on him in a year. He’s a LF without the power, or a CF without the arm. I like the kid and will remain a fan but his development is behind his talent.

    11. I’m always surpirsied for some reason at the level of animosity related to trading fringe prospects. Trammel is not all that young and now has been traded twice as the “star of the deal”. He’s at best an average OF. Fairchild had no conceivable spot on the roster for the next several years. The Reds needed bullpen help and got it for 3 fringe guys tha may never help any team. Get over yourselves. The Reds are better then they were before these trades and gave up no strong talent.

      1. “ The Reds are better then they were before these trades and gave up no strong talent.”

        When they win it all this year because of these trades I’ll come back and eat crow.

        2. 31 teams won’t win the World Series this year. If that’s the measuring standard then 99% of trades are a standard. It’s guys like you that complain but have no idea how a roster is constructed. Let me help.

          Castellanos 4 years (3.5 left) $64mm, opt outs annually.
          Akiyama 3 years, $21mm CF
          Senzel 4 years of control CF
          Winkler 3 years of control can play CF
          Aquino 5 years of control
          Ervin 4 years of control
          Siri 6 years CF
          Friedl 6 years CF
          Siani 6 years CF
          Bautista 6 years
          Hannah 6 years
          Hendrick 6 years
          Wainwright 6 years

          So we gave up punch and judy hitter and pitcher and a decent prospect at a loaded internal position for a legit bullpen arm with another year of control and an outfielder with proven MLB hitting with 2 more years of control. Hurt me.

        3. “Guys like you”

          Nice.

          Castellanos is likely going to opt out if the market for him is anywhere near decent.
          Winkler doesn’t play for the Reds. Winker does.

          I thought since you were helping me learn how a lineup is constructed, that you would include the two players that you said make the team better. Instead you have listed six minor league players, a player that has been DFA in Ervin, a player that isn’t even in the organization (Siri), and Akiyama and Aquino that aren’t being played by the manager.

          I don’t have to hurt you—just let you talk.

        4. Lol. Not to mention Friedl, who they also gave up on but no one else wanted him apparently. Hannah is an interesting add to the list because they ended up giving up Tanner Rainey for him (via Tanner Roark). Rainey was a key bullpen member of the World Champs and has a 1.26 ERA this year. Reds could use that.

          If anything Fairchild’s 2nd half last year showed the most promise of any CF in the organization. I’ll even include Senzel in that because he can’t stay on the field.

        5. Ah, fighting with typos, always the wise man’s choice.

          In hast, I followed Doug’s prospect list, Siri was still on it. I listed all the OF talent we have. You complain that I listed minor leaguers while complaining about them trading minor leaguers. Obviously you think you are a better talent scout. Let’s do this. I will bet $100 on each one in the organization I listed against each one of the guys you are soooo upset they traded. Head to head career based on WAR. All winning money goes to Doug for this website.

          Put up or shut up.

    12. Trading “could be” fringe prospects for actual proven MLB level talent is what smart teams do. VanMeter and Fairchild functional value are the easiest in MLB to replace in my opinion. The replacement value money wise is a no brainer. What’s left, fringe lefty arm with below average MLB stuff that can’t crack the top 25 prospects list? I think you guys just like his name. Doug does a great job keeping historic prospect lists. Go back and look at how many “top 25” never make the majors.

      You want to be angry…get angry at the draft selections.

      1. My issue is not who they traded, its who they didn’t trade. Bauer’s only value to the Reds was if they were in the playoff hunt or they traded him. They managed to do neither. The signing of Moustakas last year also made 0 sense if you weren’t moving Votto or Saurez. It was just money spent to spend it.

        1. If you trade Bauer, the acquiring team is getting 5-6 starts out of him since he’s just a rental. I don’t think those are the kind of players that were being traded this year. This is especially true in the case of a player like Bauer who would come with a compensation pick if he leaves in free agency. He’d have to be worth so much to the acquiring team that they’d have had to be willing to pay more than the value of the compensation pick for 5-6 starts (plus you have to pay him). To be fair, you’d get him for the playoffs too. Still, I never thought teams would make that kind of move this year.

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