Sunday notes from the last place team in the NL Central...
It was the dark ages of Cincinnati Reds baseball when I discussed at length their decision to call up catcher Austin Wynns and, once again, opt to carry a trio of catchers on the active roster.
[/presses earpiece]
I’m now being told that was actually just Friday evening.
The stay of Wynns with the Reds - and the era of them once again carrying a trio of catchers akin to their similar decision during the first half of 2023 - was a short one. The Reds designated Wynns for assignment on Sunday morning, doing so in order to free up a roster spot for the addition of infielder Livan Soto, for whatever reason.
The team announced the news on the platform previously, and ad infinitum referred to as Twitter.
The #Reds today recalled from Triple-A Louisville IF Livan Soto and designated for assignment C Austin Wynns. pic.twitter.com/DevInJB83b
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 23, 2024
Soto is still just 24 years of age and I should probably give him a little bit more credit than I initially expressed. He was originally signed by the Atlanta Braves as a free agent out of Venezuela in 2016 and given a $1 million bonus, but that was later opened back up by Major League Baseball as part of Atlanta’s scandalous dealings under former GM John Coppollela.
He was deemed a free agent in late November of 2017 and promptly signed with the Los Angeles Angels, with whom he would eventually make his debut in 2022. Limited to just 71 PA at the big league level across 2022-2023, Soto was DFA’d by the Angels in April of 2024 only to then go through this circus of transactions in the weeks that followed:
The business of baseball is fascinating, isn’t it?
Soto’s game is that of a prototypical glove-first middle infielder. He doesn’t strike out much at all and has a reasonable eye at the plate, and his bat is thoroughly punchless. That said, he’s got a glove that can legitimately cover shortstop, and that’s something the Reds haven’t really had on their active roster behind Elly De La Cruz all season. So, at least that would appear to alleviate that roster conundrum.
Thanks for your day and a half of service, Austin Wynns. I’m sorry you didn’t get to play at all in the Reds uniform.
