The Cincinnati Reds announced about 20 minutes ago that Dilson Herrera cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A. That removes him from the 40-man roster, leaving the organization with 38 spots (not counting Rookie Davis, who is on the 60-day disabled list). Herrera will remain in big league spring training for now as a non-roster invitee.

Dilson Herrera has played once in the last six days. He had a “small” setback with his shoulder, and still haven’t done a whole lot of work in the field during games. You obviously don’t want to see guys struggle with their health, but in the long run this could work out for both Herrera and the Reds.

How this could help Dilson Herrera

For Dilson Herrera, not having to worry about playing once or twice a week in the Major Leagues, and instead getting 5-6 starts a week in Louisville could allow further development, and realistically, a possible easier path to a starting job in the Major Leagues. If he performs well, once healthy, then when a job opens up, it could be there for the taking. He’s always hit well when he’s been healthy. While you never know what a guy is going to look like coming back from shoulder surgery, if he can return to normal, the expectation should be that he’ll hit.

How this could help the Cincinnati Reds

For the Reds it could work out for the same reasons it could for Herrera. But, it also could help them out because they get the freedom to perhaps have a more flexible player on their bench in the Major Leagues. At the same time, with Scooter Gennett struggling against lefties, Herrera seemed like a good guy to use in a platoon situation at the spot. And unless the team is going to use Alex Blandino in that role in the Major Leagues, the roster spot that seemed like it was Herrera’s isn’t going to go to someone who should hit lefties nearly as well.

Joey For Prime Minister T-Shirt

41 Responses

  1. RandyW

    Is it possible both Blandino and Dixon make the opening day roster?

    • Doug Gray

      I would personally LOVE to see it. I think that the odds of it happening are next to zero, though.

      • AndyBado

        Can someone here sell me on Dixon? I look at him and see a young Kivlehan (who I don’t really like). Also, Fangraphs’ prospect list said that Dixon is seen by many scouts as a DH only prospect because he’s below average defensively at all of the many positions he plays.

      • Doug Gray

        Dixon plays more spots than Kivlehan. Probably doesn’t profile to start anywhere – but he’s good enough defensively to back up like five or six spots. The power is legit. He’s got speed.

  2. The Duke

    Blandino has been impressive this spring. Showing his usual good plate discipline and position versatility. I’d love to see him in a platoon with Scooter, backing up 3B and SS and used as a pinch hitter quite often.

    • Krozley

      Agree. He had an OPS of .932 against lefties last year in the minors, if my calculations are correct. He would give them a bat-first utility guy off the bench to go with the glove-first Pennington.

      We need to remember Herrera is a year younger than Blandino, so him taking another year in the minors to get right is not a big deal. Him clearing waivers is a huge win all around.

  3. B-town Fan

    Jairo Labourt was DFA’d by Oakland. I don’t know if that means he goes through waivers again, maybe the Reds can pick him up again after losing him in waivers a week ago.

  4. Keith

    The fact that a guy who we traded Jay Bruce for cleared waivers is a little depressing to me, but I recognize that’s history and no point dwelling over it. Hope he plays every day and gets back on track to claiming the second base job. (Personally, I think that if he plays well, the job will be his by mid-year, because I’m expecting major regression from Scooter).

    I’d like to see Blandino on the bench. Think he’d be great in that role.

    • Colorado Red

      The Bruce trade was as much a salary dump, as anything else.
      We knew he was hurt when he got him.

    • AC

      Unfortunately the perceived trade market for guys like Bruce and Cozart was much different than the actual trade market. I think the only argument that holds water is that they grossly mistimed the start of the rebuild.

      • MikeinSoCal

        As I recall at first had a trade of Bruce to the Mets for Nimmo. We backed out of that one because we preferred Herrera. Nimmo is a good one.

    • sixpacktwo

      It looks like Scooter can continue to do alright against RH pitching. A player to spell him from the better left handers would be ideal.

  5. MK

    Might this create a situation where Peraza gets more time at second with Senzel at short?

    Does seem like they just gave away another player for nothing, When they made the bruce trade wasn’t there an issue over a players physical. How bad must that player have been?

    • Norwood Nate

      Yeah, how bad would that medical record have been to pull out of the deal? Considering that neither Herrera or Wottell have been healthy for the Reds since the trade, I’d have to guess it was a no armed pitcher that had a bad case of gout in his left foot.

      • AirborneJayJay

        The pitcher you are thinking about had that left foot removed. It was his plant foot. When he came down on it, it made him wobble to one side or the other. It caused his location to be off most of the time. But Walt Jocketty was still enamored with the player. Jocketty wanted another arm. The player’s name was Bob Weebles. They called him Bobbles Wobbles, or just plain Weebles.

      • The Duke

        You have to admire his perseverance though. Weebles wobbled, but he never fell down.

    • sultanofswaff

      I think if Senzel seizes the SS job in a month, then the prudent thing would be to send Peraza back to Louisville to work on his hitting. This dink and doink approach to RF is worthless. Just seems to make sense to keep Pennington as the backup SS while using a more versatile and finished player like Blandino at 2B/3B, especially the way he hits lefties.

  6. Klugo

    So now that he’s cleared waivers, he’s the Reds’? No one else can scoop him up from AAA?

      • Klugo

        Cool. I’m dying to see him stay healthy and have a chance to play. I think he can be an X Factor in the rebuild.

  7. Steve

    According to the Reds.com site, we have 37 spots taken(not including Davis). 21 P, 3 C, 6 IF and 7 OF. A. Hernandez must’ve cleared waivers too as he was assigned to Pensacola on 3/9 according to the site.

    • Doug Gray

      I’m convinced that is an error on Reds dot com and that Hernandez is still on the 40-man roster. It was reported everywhere, by the Reds, by the beat writers, that he was optioned to the minors. When they made the move today, the Reds announced, officially, that their 40-man was at 38 players.

  8. DX

    It is disappointing to me to see where the Reds are five years into a rebuild. Some of it is unfortunate with the injuries to the pitching staff, but the CF and SS positions were not planned out very well. If you were to say, “oops”, this didn’t work. How would you start over today? Who would you build around? I think that is where the Reds are.

    • Colt Holt

      You realize that the 2013 reds won 90 games right? In 2014, the team was middling, but not in a rebuild. In 2015, the team should have been in a rebuild, but owners dictated otherwise due to the all-star game. This is year 3 of a rebuild that should have started much sooner. The rebuild could be at a different point if we drafted Mike Trout, but we didn’t. Despite all the other things that didn’t happen that could have, the team could see a major step forward this year and be a few pieces away (and buying at the deadline, if two starters really step up to potential). Sitting with Nick Senzel looking like a Joey Votto Lite playing short stop, that alters the future of this team. Good things are to come.

    • Doug Gray

      This team is nowhere near year 5 of the rebuild. They didn’t really start it until late July of 2015.

  9. Greenfield Red

    This would be a good time to ask about guys like Herrera who clear waivers and are sent to the minors. What is his status for 2019? Is he automatically Reds property, or do they have to sign him as a free agent this off season? Thanks.

    • Bill

      As this will be his eighth season in the minors, the Reds will have to add Herrera back to the 40-man next offseason or sooner to retain him; otherwise he will be a minor league free agent.

      • Greenfield Red

        Thanks for that explanation, but it begs more questions. If the Reds do add him to the 40 before next year, how long do they retain rights? If he was less than 8 years and waived back to the minors, would they have to add him to the 40 by next year to keep control? This stuff is hard to follow. Thanks.

      • Doug Gray

        If he’s added back, they get 6-years of team control – assuming he remains on the roster that entire time. Any time they would try to put him in the minors, he’d have to clear waivers and be open to being taken by another team.

    • Doug Gray

      I believe that Herrera is a free agent after 2018, unless the Reds decide to add him back to the 40-man roster.

      • The Duke

        This has worked out very well for the Reds. If the shoulder can get right and he has a good year in AAA we can still add him and get a look again next spring. If the injury issues continue, then I imagine the list of guys who dealt with shoulder issues for 3+ years and then came back to be a productive major league player is a short one.

  10. Michael B. Green

    I cannot believe but am happy that Dilson cleared waivers. The pressure is now off. Wonder if this means they are kicking the tires on Espinosa?

    • citizen54

      Ya I’m kind of shocked that he cleared waivers. WiIth all the time he has missed due to injuries, a year at AAA couldn’t hurt.

  11. Wes

    Great move! Be hard to claim him with so much baggage and being so unproven.

  12. Kinsm

    If Herrera is injured, he has a valid case if he wants the Union to take it up. Teams can’t remove players if they are hurt. Takes a huge cut in pay.

    • Bill

      Players can’t be optioned to the minors when they are hurt, but they can be outrighted to the minors. When outrighted they are removed from the 40-man roster and pass through the waivers where their contract can be claimed by another team.

      • Doug Gray

        They can. And they can’t. There are some stipulations that come into play here, but the Herrera move allows him to be outrighted without reprecussions – as long as it happened today or earlier. The Reds could not have made this same move tomorrow.

  13. William Kubas

    The Duke
    March 13, 2018

    Blandino has been impressive this spring. Showing his usual good plate discipline and position versatility. I’d love to see him in a platoon with Scooter, backing up 3B and SS and used as a pinch hitter quite often.”

    Krozley
    March 13, 2018
    “Agree. He had an OPS of .932 against lefties last year in the minors, if my calculations are correct. He would give them a bat-first utility guy off the bench to go with the glove-first Pennington.”

    Keith
    March 13, 2018

    “I’d like to see Blandino on the bench. Think he’d be great in that role.”

    GO STANFORD CARDINAL BASEBALL