The Reds and Giants have swung a late night time take care of simply over three weeks to go till the commerce deadline. Per an announcement from each golf equipment, the Reds have acquired outfielder Austin Slater from San Francisco in alternate for left-hander Alex Younger. Cincinnati can be receiving money concerns as a part of the deal. The Giants optioned Younger to Triple-A following the transaction.
Slater, 31, has been within the Giants group for greater than a decade. His skilled profession started when he was chosen by the membership out of Stanford within the eighth spherical of the 2014 draft, although he wouldn’t make his huge league debut with the membership till his age-24 season in 2017. Slater was largely a part-time participant throughout his first few years in San Francisco, and he amassed simply 544 plate appearances within the majors between 2017 and 2019. In that restricted taking part in time, he posted an honest .254/.335/.368 slash line that was good for a 92 wRC+ whereas splitting time between all three outfield spots, first base, and even making transient cameos at each second and third base.
The shortened 2020 season noticed Slater escape in an enormous method, as he posted a wonderful 150 wRC+ for the Giants whereas showing in 31 of the membership’s 60 video games that 12 months whereas taking part in principally proper subject and DH for the membership. That offensive explosion earned Slater a bigger position within the following years, and whereas most of his taking part in time nonetheless got here towards left-handed pitching he long-established extra of a correct platoon position for himself versus the reserve outfield position he had been utilized in beforehand. Slater took to the elevated obligations fairly properly, and between the 2020 and 2023 seasons the lefty masher hit a strong .259/.352/.421 (118 wRC+).
That line goes from strong to sensational when trying completely at his manufacturing towards southpaws, towards whom he mashed to the tune of a .285/.380/.486 line with a wRC+ of 141. That manufacturing towards left-handed pitching was good for Seventeenth-best in baseball throughout that 4 12 months interval, on par with star hitters resembling Jose Altuve and Xander Bogaerts.
Whereas the Giants leaned closely on Slater as a platoon associate for a primarily left-handed outfield that includes sluggers resembling Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Conforto, and Joc Pederson throughout these years, Slater’s taking part in time was additional reduce down by damage woes. Because the begin of the 2020 marketing campaign, Slater has made seven journeys to the injured record for groin, hamstring, wrist, and hand points in addition to a number of concussions. Slater additionally required elbow surgical procedure final offseason to take away a bone spur and relieve nerve ache. It’s potential that prolonged record of damage points has helped to contribute to what has been a troublesome 2024 season for the 31-year-old, as he’s hit simply .200/.330/.244 in 112 journeys to the plate this season surrounding a month-long keep on the IL because of a concussion earlier this 12 months.
In buying Slater, the Reds are absolutely hoping they’ll coax a few of that lefty-mashing skill he flashed in earlier years out of him so as to make him a top quality platoon associate for the membership’s many left-handed hitting outfielders. Slater’s foremost competitors for enjoying time in that position figures to be Stuart Fairchild, who has slashed a lackluster .224/.298/.347 (81 wRC+) in 189 journeys to the plate this 12 months. Within the brief time period, nevertheless, each Fairchild and Slater determine to get loads of reps alongside Will Benson and Spencer Steer within the membership’s outfield combine because of the absences of Jake Fraley, TJ Friedl, and Nick Martini. Fraley is presently on the household medical emergency record and can doubtless return inside a number of days, however each Friedl and Martini are on the injured record and are dealing with probably prolonged absences.
In alternate for parting methods with Slater, the Giants are receiving some left-handed bullpen assist in the type of Younger. As soon as a second-round choose by the Diamondbacks within the 2015 draft, the lefty made his huge league debut again in 2019 and usually struggled on the main league stage in a swing position with Arizona and Cleveland. That modified in 2022, when Younger was acquired by San Francisco in a money take care of the Guardians and commenced pitching in a brief aid position full-time. The lefty carried out fairly properly throughout his first stint with the Giants and posted a 2.39 ERA and a pair of.96 FIP throughout 26 1/3 innings of labor earlier than being non-tendered by San Francisco the next November.
Extra to come back…