The Cincinnati Reds addressed their outfield injury woes by acquiring veteran outfielder Austin Slater from the San Francisco Giants in a late-night trade on Sunday, sending left-handed reliever Alex Young in return.
Slater, 31, brings a history of productivity as a right-handed hitter in various outfield roles, though he has struggled this season with a .200 batting average, one home run, and a .574 OPS. Over the past four seasons, he has compiled a .259 batting average with 29 home runs and a .773 OPS across 374 games, demonstrating versatility by playing all three outfield positions.
The outfielder, who has approximately $1.75 million remaining on his contract, will become a free agent after the current season. Slater’s recent return from a concussion, sustained in a collision with the outfield wall against the Reds on May 10, has seen him bat .255 with one home run and eight walks in 18 games.
The trade comes amid a series of injuries for the Reds’ outfield, including Nick Martini landing on the injured list due to a thumb sprain and Stuart Fairchild’s potential move to the IL pending evaluation of a back issue. Center fielder TJ Friedl, recovering from a hamstring injury, is expected to return within the next one to two weeks.
In exchange for Slater, the Giants receive Alex Young, a left-handed pitcher who played a pivotal role in the Reds’ bullpen success last season. After starting this year on the injured list due to a lower back injury, Young pitched two scoreless innings upon his return before being optioned to Triple-A Louisville, where he has excelled with a 1.19 ERA across 23 appearances.
Young, 30, returns to San Francisco where he spent the final two months of the 2022 season after being acquired from the Guardians. He is earning $1.16 million this year and remains arbitration eligible for the next two seasons, providing the Giants with added depth and bullpen support.
The transaction underscores the Reds’ proactive approach to fortifying their roster amidst ongoing challenges, aiming to maintain competitiveness in the highly competitive NL Central as the season progresses.