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    Edwin Arroyo (Photo: Doug Gray)
    Photo: Doug Gray

    Two Reds prospects have huge days in the Arizona Fall League

    Doug Gray 12

    The Glendale Desert Dogs grabbed an 8-1 victory on Tuesday evening over Peoria and the Cincinnati Reds prospects left their fingerprints all over the game. Two of the guys really stood out for their performances on the day.

    Edwin Arroyo started the game at shortstop and he was hitting second in the lineup. And hitting he did. The infielder went 4-5 on the day with a double, steal, two runs scored, and he drove in a run. He was the only hitter in the game with more than two hits. He was only one of two hitters in the game to have an extra-base hit. Arroyo raised his average to .370 through six games played.

    While Arroyo had one of two extra-base hits in the game, it was another Reds prospect with the other one. Tyler Callihan, who started the game in left field and was hitting leadoff, had two hits in the game. He would finish 2-5 with two runs, two runs batted in, and a triple. His two hits pushed his average up to .370 on the AFL season as well.

    Two Reds pitching prospects also wound up on the mound on Tuesday. Carson Rudd allowed a run in 2.0 innings as he covered the 7th and 8th of the game. Rudd picked up two strikeouts on the night and walked a batter. That run he allowed was his first for the Desert Dogs in his 6.2 innings pitched.

    But it was Jose Acuna who was the star of the game. The right-handed pitcher entered the game out of the bullpen for Glendale to begin the 3rd inning. He then tossed four hitless innings while walking two batters and racking up seven strikeouts.

    It was just the second outing of the AFL season for Jose Acuna. He’s now thrown seven innings without allowing a run, giving up just two hits, and he now has nine strikeouts to go along with five walks.

    Gabriel Aguilera picks up a win in Venezuela

    Tuesday night saw Gabriel Aguilera take over for Caribes to begin the second inning. The right-hander then proceeded to five shutout innings against Lara while giving up just three hits and striking out four batters without allowing a walk. Aguilera would be credited with the win for his performance on the night.

    Lara’s lineup featured five players with big league experience, though none of those five were in the majors during the 2024 season. Still, it was a vet-heavy lineup that had former big leaguers in it and Aguilera breezed through it on Tuesday.

    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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    12 Responses

    2. I am hopeful that T Cal can fill that 4th outfielder role next year. We know that this is AFL, but, at least he is still having success. Just needs to stay healthy. Would be a cheaper option than Fraley if he can manage it.

      1. As a first year arb eligbile player off a so-so 2024, Fraley won’t be overly expensive for 2025. You just need Callihan ready by 2026 to fill that role to where you start running cost/benefit analysis on what Fraley is brining to the table. I expect Fraley will be $2-2.5 million for 2025, and he’s still well worth that price. As of now, he’s still a starter for 2025 until we bring in another OF through FA or trade. I think we’d all feel a bit better with him in that 4th OF role.

        Callihan definitely showing the Reds should probably add him to the 40 man though.

      2. Callihan has played 254 games as a 2B, as opposed to 17 as an OF. I pretty sure he was drafted as a 3B, and has also played 62 games there, with 16 more at 1B. I don’t know if he’s going to make it to the MLB, but it would seem more likely that if he does, he’ll be on the dirt.

        Short of Dunn, or Hinds returning to their 2023 batting profiles, there’s not much hope of an OF coming up to help in 2025. There are some OFs who should be in AA that might make it by 2026, but none of them are high profile prospects, so we can’t count on them either.

        The only way to fix the 2025 OF is aquiring new OF from outside the organization.

    4. With Aguiar going under the knife, not to be seen again until 2026, we’re going to need a guy like Acuna to step up and be part of that MLB depth in 2025. I expect he’ll start in AAA and be behind both Petty and Phillips, but we all saw how many pitchers we needed in 2024, I don’t expect 2025 to be much different.

      1. We have some pitchers who seem to be injury prone on the MLB level. I would expect at least a dozen SP’s by year’s end. Losing Williamson, and Aguiar is going to hurt when we begin to use FA MILB SP’s to fill innings.

        This is why it’s really important for us to bring back Martinez, and sign a quality FA SP, and or trade for a SP.

    5. Watched the Arizona Game last night. In addition to everyone mentioned above, Carson Rudd pitched a couple quality innings which was tarnished by allowing a run when Arroyo failed to field a sure double play grounder that would have ended the inning.

      The official scorekeeper was definitely pro-hitter as the DP ball that went under Arroyo’s glove was scored a hit and the bloop misplayed single of Callihan’s was ruled a triple.

      Not sure the year of rehabbing might end up being a positive thing as he looks much physically stronger at the plate. Could be just maturity, it could be all the weight training he did, or a combination.

    6. One 4-hit game and some Reds “writers” are calling for EDLC to move and open space for Arroyo (e.g., Dystra). SMH, one game and they are hyping the guy in the AFL. I’d say he’s probably not ready for Cincinnati. Maybe soon, maybe even next year, but I’d think Opening Day is too soon to worry about.

      1. I don’t know. He looked good in spring training. I think if he wouldn’t have been injured we would have seen him on the the big league team this past season. Maybe I am wrong about that but that was my expectation before he got injured.

        1. Frostgiant agree, no question Arroyo would’ve debuted in Cincy in ’24 had injury not occurred. He’ll be called up by June ’25 or maybe make the team out of ST. He’s a big time talent.

          1. Him making the team out of spring training would be an absolute shocker. He’s had like two weeks above A-ball. And the gap between the big leagues and the minor leagues has never been larger than it is today.

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