Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings November 3, 2018

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1 Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings November 3, 2018 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1989-The Reds name Lou Piniella as manager to replace Tommy Helms. Piniella will manage the Reds until 1992, collecting a record in that time MLB.COM Reds tab Johnson as pitching coach Ex-Brewers appointment is first hire to Bell's coaching staff By Mark Sheldon Nov. 2nd, 2018 CINCINNATI -- The Reds were assembling their list of potential pitching coaches to work under new manager David Bell when they learned that Derek Johnson had a brief window in his deal with the Brewers that enabled him to speak with other clubs. "When we became aware of that window, he immediately moved to the top of our list and became our focus," Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said. On Friday, Williams formally announced that Johnson was Cincinnati's new pitching coach. The deal came together quickly as Williams, Bell and general manager Nick Krall flew to Nashville on Tuesday to meet in person with Johnson. A deal was reached on Wednesday. The Reds not only topped Milwaukee with an undisclosed significant offer, the closer proximity of Cincinnati to Johnson's hometown of Nashville was another incentive to make the move. "This was opportunity for me to see what was out there," Johnson, 47, said. "It didn't take very long -- but from the beginning of it the Reds were very persistent. They made me feel extremely comfortable. They made me feel extremely wanted. At the end of day, it felt like this was the right move for my family and I." With the Brewers and despite not having what would be considered a "true ace" as they went to the National League Championship Series in 2018, Johnson worked with several starting pitchers who enjoyed success. That includes Wade Miley and Gio Gonzalez, who became free agents this week, along with developing fellow starters Jhoulys Chacin, Chase Anderson and Jimmy Nelson and reliever Josh Hader. From , Johnson was the pitching coach at Vanderbilt University and had 13 of his pitchers reach the Major Leagues -- including David Price and Sonny Gray. During the season, Johnson was the Cubs' Minor League pitching coordinator. The Brewers exceeded expectations under Johnson's watch, ranking eighth of the 30 MLB teams with a 3.94 ERA over the past three seasons. He will take over a pitching staff that ranked 14th out of 15 National League clubs during 2018 with a 4.63 ERA. Cincinnati's rotation was also 14th with a 5.02 ERA and.274 opponents' batting average and led the NL with 151 home runs allowed. "Offensively, I always felt like they were where they needed to be in a lot of cases and then the pitching side of things, I looked over and saw some guys who I thought had some really good arms that were about ready to make a jump," Johnson said. "From my perspective, I think the sky's the limit. There's a good collection of people that can make some improvements. From my end, it's probably starting on a basic philosophy of the direction that we want to go, who we are and then what we're going to try to do. I think that's probably the first steps you're going to see in Spring Training." Johnson hopes to develop the strengths of the Reds' pitchers already with the club and help them improve. "I've got this saying, 'Be great at what you're good at.' You can go into a lot of detail on that, but the gist of this is each one of these guys come to us with good strengths," he said. "That's why they're in the Major Leagues. That's why they are a Major League pitcher or they're close to being one. In my mind, we spend way too much time trying to kind of develop the things that they're not or the things that they don't have as opposed to trying to develop the things they're already good at. To me, that's a separator."

2 For the Reds to lure free-agent pitchers to sign with their club, having someone as respected as Johnson run the staff can't hurt their chances. "I certainly hope that it contributes," Williams said. "I certainly hope it adds value. I know that his reputation among players is very strong. We were able to talk to guys that played under him in college and in the big leagues. They really believe in him." Bell knew Johnson from when they both worked for the Cubs. He is the first hire for the new coaching staff. "I'm just thrilled to have Derek be the first step to us putting together our staff," Bell said. "Obviously, a very important member. To have this rare opportunity kind of out of the blue to get somebody like Derek is a great start. It came up, and we were able to go get him." Reds name international scouting director Cincinnati also hired Trey Hendricks on Wednesday to be its new director of international scouting. Hendricks comes to the Reds from the Rangers, where he spent 2018 as their international crosschecker. From , Hendricks worked as a pro and advance scout for the Indians. A former corner infielder and outfielder, he was a 24th-round Draft pick for the D-backs in 2004 out of Harvard University. He played professionally in Arizona's farm system and internationally in Australia and Germany. Reds claim reliever Bowman from Cardinals Cincinnati shuffles roster, loses Dixon and Brice to waivers By Mark Sheldon Nov. 2nd, 2018 CINCINNATI -- The Reds had a flurry of roster moves on Friday that removed players from the 40-man roster and added some. Right-handed reliever Matt Bowman was claimed off of waivers from the Cardinals. Meanwhile, second baseman Dilson Herrera and outfielder Mason Williams cleared waivers and were sent outright to Triple-A Louisville. Infielder/outfielder Brandon Dixon was claimed off waivers by the Tigers, while right-handed reliever Austin Brice was a waiver claim by the Angels. Reinstated from the 60-day disabled list were outfielder Jesse Winker, infielder Alex Blandino and right-handed pitcher Keury Mella. Bowman, 27, was a Rule 5 Draft pick by St. Louis from the Mets before the 2016 season and spent the last three seasons in the Cardinals' bullpen. Over 156 games, he is 5-13 with a 4.10 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. In 74 games during his rookie year, Dixon batted.178 with five home runs and 10 RBIs. Brice was 2-3 with a 5.79 ERA in 33 big league games over four stints with the Reds last season. Team-by-team guide to AFL's Fall Stars MLB.com Nov. 2nd, 2018 The Arizona Fall League's 13th annual Fall Stars Game will be broadcast live on MLB Network and streamed live on MLB.com Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. Here's a team-by-team guide to the prospects who will take the AFL's biggest stage: ANGELS Brett Hanewich, RHP Relying heavily on a mid-90s fastball, Hanewich posted a 2.61 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 69 relief innings between two Class A stops in The 2017 ninth-rounder out of Stanford is working on refining his secondary pitches and control. Jahmai Jones, 2B (Angels No. 3 prospect) Jones has a father (Andre), brother (T.J.) and uncle (Phillip Daniels) who all played in the NFL, but his future is in baseball as a line-drive hitter with plus speed who moved from the outfield to second base this year. A 2015 second-rounder as a Georgia high schooler, he batted.239/.337/.380 with 10 homers and 24 steals between Class A Advanced and Double-A.

3 ASTROS Trent Thornton, RHP (Astros No. 24) A 2015 fifth-rounder from North Carolina, Thornton employs a funky delivery that adds deception to his mph fastball and solid pair of breaking pitches. He logged a 4.42 ERA with a 122/31 K/BB ratio in 124 1/3 Triple-A innings this year. Forrest Whitley, RHP (Astros No. 2, MLB No. 8) MLB Pipeline's top-rated pitching prospect, Whitley worked just 31 2/3 innings this season because of a 50-game suspension for violating the Minor League drug program and subsequent minor oblique and lat injuries. The 17th overall pick in the 2016 Draft as a Texas high schooler, he can miss bats with each of his four pitches: a mid-90s fastball with natural cut, a 12-to-6 curveball, a latebiting slider and a changeup with fade and depth. ATHLETICS Luis Barrera, OF The 22-year-old had a bit of a breakout year and reached Double-A, where he hit.328 over 36 games, for the first time in his career. Barrera, signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2012, has stolen five bases in his first nine AFL games. In addition to wreaking havoc on the basepaths, Barrera also uses that speed to impact the game in the outfield. BLUE JAYS Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B (Blue Jays No. 1, MLB No. 1) After a tremendous season in the Minors, baseball's top prospect has continued to rake in Arizona. The owner of MLB Pipeline's sole 80-grade hit tool, Guerrero Jr. hit.381 over 95 games in 2018 and has been just as impressive in Arizona, where he is hitting.462 through 13 games. The 19-year-old, who was named MLB Pipeline's Hitter of the Year, entered the Fall League with a ton of hype and has done nothing to disappoint. Cavan Biggio, 2B/3B (Blue Jays No. 9) Biggio lowered his hands and added more of a load to his swing prior to this year and the results spoke volumes about the changes. Biggio led the Eastern League with a career-high 26 homers. He also led the league in slugging (.499) and OPS (.887) and was one of just six minor leaguers to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases. While the Eastern League MVP hasn't hit as well in the early stages of the Fall League, his main purpose in Arizona is increasing his defensive versatility. After playing 125 games in the infield this season -- primarily at second base -- Biggio, who played just two games in right during the regular season, is getting outfield reps in the AFL. Nate Pearson, RHP (Blue Jays No. 4) Pearson's regular season ended before it ever got started. The 22-year-old suffered a fractured right rm when he was hit by a line drive in the second inning of his first start. The right-hander, a former first-round pick (2017), was lights out in his professional debut as he posted a 0.90 ERA in 20 innings over eight starts. Pearson has struggled a bit in the Fall League, but after not having pitched in meaningful games since the end of the 2017 season, some struggles out of the gate were likely expected. BRAVES Kyle Muller, LHP (Braves No. 12) Muller received first-round money ($2.5 million) as a second-round pick from a Texas high school in 2016, when he set a national prep record by striking out 24 straight batters. Pairing a mph fastball and solid breaking stuff, he logged a 3.03 ERA with a 129/46 K/BB ratio in 139 2/3 innings, mostly in Class A Advanced. Cristian Pache, OF (Braves No. 6) The consensus best defensive outfielder in the Minor Leagues, Pache also has well-above-average speed, a plus arm and underrated power potential. Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, he hit.279/.307/.410 with nine homers and seven steals between Class A Advanced and Double-A. BREWERS Keston Hiura, 2B (Brewers No. 1, MLB No. 30) The Brewers' top prospect has a 70-grade hit tool and it's easy to see why. Hiura has hit at every stop of his career and the AFL has been no different. After hitting.293/.357/.464 over two levels in the regular season, Hiura leads the Fall League with 24 RBIs and is hitting.340 through 12 games. CARDINALS Evan Kruczynski, LHP The 23-year-old doesn't have any individual pitches that truly stand out, however he mixes his pitches well and was able to reach Double-A in his first full season. A ninth-rounder from the 2017 Draft, Kruczynski issued 31 walks and piled up 107 strikeouts in 115 2/3 innings this year. The lefty has also shown an ability to retire batters in Arizona, where he's held opponents without an earned run in three of his four appearances.

4 CUBS Bailey Clark, RHP Drafted in the fifth round in 2016 out of Duke, Clark can produce mid-90s fastballs with live and hard sliders but has trouble maintaining his delivery. He had a 2.45 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings between three lower-level stops this season. Nico Hoerner, SS (Cubs No. 6) The only position player drafted in 2018 who's in the Fall League, Hoerner batted.327/.450/.571 with two homers and six steals in 14 games at three levels before straining ligaments in his left elbow while diving for a ball. Selected 24th overall out of Stanford, he earns praise for his hand-eye coordination and approach, and he may have more pop than expected. D-BACKS Jon Duplantier, RHP (D-backs No. 1, MLB No. 80) A 2016 third-rounder from Rice, Duplantier led the Minors with a 1.39 ERA in his first full pro season but missed half of his second with hamstring and biceps issues. Working with a lively low-90s fastball and a plus curveball, he had a 2.55 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 74 innings this year, mostly in Double-A. Pavin Smith, 1B (D-backs No. 4) The No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 Draft out of Virginia, Smith is a hit-over-power first baseman known for his mastery of the strike zone. He didn't post big numbers in his first full pro season, batting.255/.343/.392 with 11 homers in Class A Advanced. Daulton Varsho, C (D-backs No. 5) The son of ex-big leaguer Gary Varsho and named for his dad's former teammate Darren Daulton, Varsho is an athletic catcher with plus speed and solid hitting and defensive ability. A 2017 supplemental second-round choice from Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he batted.286/.363/.451 with 11 homers and 19 steals in 80 games at high Class A. DODGERS Keibert Ruiz, C (Dodgers No. 2, MLB No. 39) One of the game's best catching prospects, Ruiz is a switch-hitter with feel for hitting, burgeoning power and the ingredients to become a solid defender. Signed out of Venezuela in 2014, he batted.268/.328/.401 with 12 homers as the second-youngest regular (age 19 for most of the season) in the Double-A Texas League. Jordan Sheffield, RHP (Dodgers No. 26) Sheffield has struggled with command and durability since turning pro as a 2016 supplemental first-rounder, and he got rocked for a 6.32 ERA this year despite 44 strikeouts in 37 innings, mostly in Class A Advanced. His pure stuff is still enticing, as his fastball can reach 98 mph and he backs it up with a hard breaking ball and a swing-and-miss changeup. GIANTS Melvin Adon, RHP (Giants No. 19) Adon has one of the strongest arms in San Francisco's system, having run his fastball up to 102 mph and his slider into the upper 80s, though he's still figuring out some finesse. A relatively ancient (age 21) signee out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, he posted a 5.03 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 82 1/3 innings, mostly in Class A Advanced. INDIANS Yu Chang, SS (Indians No. 6) Chang is back in the Fall League for a second straight season. The shortstop, who has made strides defensively throughout his career, hit.256 over 127 games with Triple-A Columbus this year and was hitting.354 through his first 13 games out in Arizona. MARINERS Evan White, 1B (Mariners No. 2) The 2017 first-rounder hit.300/.371/.453 in his first full season, most of which was with Class A Advanced Modesto. White made a mechanical adjustment -- lowering his hands -- late in the year and began to drive the ball more as a result. White slugged.689 over his final 22 games after the adjustment and has slugged.451 with two homers through 12 games in the AFL. Wyatt Mills, RHP (Mariners No. 9) Mills (No. 9) dominated his way through the California League (6-0 with a 1.91 ERA over 42 1/3 innings), but struggled once he was promoted to Double-A Arkansas (0-2 with a ERA in 10 2/3 innings). The 23-year-old sidearmer has a low-90s fastball and a tight slider, which makes him effective against right-handed hitters. In the Fall League, facing advanced competition, Mills has more resembled the pitcher he was with Class A Advanced Modesto, rather than the one who was roughed up with Arkansas. David McKay, RHP

5 McKay's second full season was much better than his first. The 23-year-old, a 14th-rounder from the 2016 Draft, posted a 7.21 ERA in 2017, but bounced back and put up a 2.58 mark this year. What's more, McKay pitched across a trio of levels in 2018, and although he did make an appearance with Triple-A Tacoma, he spent the bulk of the season with Class A Advanced Modesto. MARLINS Monte Harrison, OF (Marlins No. 2) Harrison starred in the 2017 Fall League, but admittedly pressed a little bit and struggled in his first season with the Marlins' organization. Harrison hit.240 and struck out 215 times over 136 games with Double-A Jacksonville, but did perform a bit better in the second half, during which he reduced his strikeout rate. Harrison has reduced his strikeout rate even further in Arizona and was hitting.325 through his first 11 games. Jordan Yamamoto, RHP Yamamoto (No. 17) was lights out all year and has continued the trend in Arizona. After going 6-1 with a 1.83 ERA across three levels in the regular season, the right-hander went 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA through his first three starts in the AFL. METS Andres Gimenez, SS (Mets No. 1, MLB No. 55) The Mets' No. 1 prospect fared well in The 20-year-old hit.281/.347/.409 over 122 games between Class A Advanced St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton. He also stole 38 bases, a career high. Gimenez appears to be on a fast track through the Mets' system and with Amed Rosario manning shortstop in New York, Gimenez is getting some reps at second -- as well as some at short -- in the Fall League. Jimenez played 119 games at shortstop, compared to just three at second base in 2018, but there is little concern that he'll be able to transition to second base if needed. 1B Peter Alonso (Mets No. 2, MLB No. 58) Alonso showcased his power throughout the regular season and has continued to do so in the Fall League. After finishing tied for the Minor League lead with 36 homers in the regular season, Alonso has gone deep four times and is slugging.541 in 16 games of AFL action. NATIONALS Carter Kieboom, SS (Nationals No. 2, MLB No. 37) The Nats' No. 2 prospect hit.280/.357/.444 and reached Double-A Harrisburg in his second full season. Kieboom, a first-rounder from the 2016 Draft, projects as an above-average hitter in the future and has good loft in his swing. The 21-year-old got off to a slow start in Arizona, but started heating up offensively and had 10 hits over his last 16 at-bats entering Tuesday. Ben Braymer, LHP The 24-year-old, an 18th-round pick from the 2016 Draft, spent the bulk of the season with Class A Advanced Potomac where he went 6-3 with a 2.43 ERA in 21 appearances (11 starts). Braymer was also named the Nationals' co-minor League pitcher of the year in 2018 as he racked up 118 strikeouts in just under 115 innings. ORIOLES Ryan McKenna, OF (Orioles No. 12) The Orioles' No. 12 prospect won the AFL's final vote and will appear in the Fall Stars Game after what has already been an impressive campaign for the 21-year-old. McKenna reached Double-A this year and slashed.315/.410/.457 across two levels. McKenna has continued to hit well in Arizona and was raking at a.378 clip through his first 10 games. PADRES Buddy Reed, OF (Padres No. 13) Reed put together a strong season as he hit.271/.319/.435 in 122 games, but put up most of that production with Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore. Once Reed was promoted to Double-A San Antonio, he hit.179 and lost a bit of his rhythm. The outfielder is working to make adjustments and get back on track in the AFL, and so far it's working as he hit.400 through his first nine games. Miguel Diaz, RHP Padres fans will likely recognize Diaz as he's spent time with the big league club in each of the past two seasons, during which he's thrown 60 1/3 innings. While the right-hander possesses a two-seamer that sits in the mid-to-upper 90s, he hasn't always been able to control it. Diaz has issued 5.5 walks per nine innings in the Majors and 3.8 in the Minors. Through three starts in the AFL, he's issued a trio of walks in 11 innings. PHILLIES Austin Listi, OF Listi's first full season should be viewed as a success after he hit.312/.412/.502 with 18 homers and reached Double-A. PIRATES

6 Cole Tucker, SS (Pirates No. 5) The Pirates' No. 5 prospect set a career high with 133 games played this season and after slashing.259/.333/.356 with Double-A Altoona, Tucker has kept up the momentum in the Fall League. The 22-year-old Phoenix native is hitting.391 through 11 games and is showing that his strong second half was no fluke. After getting off to a bit of a slow start in 2018, Tucker hit.281/.370/.407 to finish the year. Blake Weiman, LHP Weiman, 22, pitched across three levels in 2018, his full-season debut, and posted a 2.42 ERA over 39 appearances. The eighthround pick (2017) issued just nine walks and struck out 77 over 67 innings and allowed hitters to hit just.234 off of him. Weiman has enjoyed similar success thus far in the AFL where he, after giving up two runs in his debut, has strung together four straight scoreless outings. RANGERS DeMarcus Evans, RHP Evans topped all Minor League relievers (minimum 50 innings) in strikeout rate with 16.6 per nine innings, fanning 103 in 56 innings while logging a 1.77 ERA in Class A. A 25th-round pick from a Mississippi high school in 2015 and a cousin of Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Alford, he dodges bats with an explosive mid-90s fastball and a 12-to-6 curveball. RAYS Lucius Fox, SS (Rays No. 9) The Rays' No. 9 prospect was pushed up to Double-A in August, but struggled to end the season. After hitting.282 through 89 games with Class A Advanced Charlotte, the 21-year-old hit just.221 in 27 games with Montgomery. However, the introduction to advanced competition seems to have paid dividends for Fox, who is faring much better in Arizona. Through 13 Fall League contests, Fox is hitting.327 and has stolen six bases. Matt Krook, LHP The fourth-round pick from 2016 spent the entire season with Double-A Montgomery where he went 4-2 with a 4.26 ERA over 74 innings. The 24-year-old has a fastball that sits in the upper-80s and low-90s and also throws a slider and changeup. Dalton Moats, LHP Moats, 23, spent the entire season at Double-A, but it didn't go as well as he would have liked. In his first taste of the new level, the lefty posted a 5.34 ERA over 41 appearances (10 starts). Moats also walked 29 and struck out 65 over 62 1/3 innings. RED SOX Bobby Dalbec, 3B (Red Sox No. 6) Dalbec possesses the best raw power in Boston's system and translated it into production by finishing second in the Minors with 70 extra-base hits and 109 RBIs and fourth with 32 homers while batting.257/.361/.558 between Class A Advanced and Double-A. A fourth-round pick from Arizona in 2016, when he starred as a two-way player at the College World Series, he also has a strong arm and has improved defensively at the hot corner. Darwinzon Hernandez, LHP (Red Sox No. 7) Since signing him for $7,500 out of Venezuela in 2013, the Red Sox have seen Hernandez blossom into a power arm with a mid-90s fastball with late life and a power slider. He struck out 134 in 107 innings, mostly in high Class A, while recording a 3.53 ERA. REDS Shed Long, 2B (Reds No. 8) Selected in the 12th round as an Alabama high schooler in 2013, Long has potential because he has more pop than most second basemen and he's aggressive with his average speed on the bases. He hit.261/.353/.412 with 12 homers and 19 steals in Double-A. Taylor Trammell, OF (Reds No. 2, MLB No. 17) A star running back in high school and the MVP of the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in July, Trammell has well-above-average speed and could have solid or better tools across the board except for his arm. The 2016 supplemental first-rounder as a Georgia prepster hit.277/.375/.406 with eight homers and 25 steals in high Class A. ROCKIES Justin Lawrence, RHP (Rockies No. 17) Lawrence paced the Class A Advanced California League in appearances (55) and holds (12) while posting a 2.65 ERA,.188 opponents' average and 62 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings. Selected in the 15th round out of Daytona State (Fla.) JC in 2015, he delivers hard sinkers and a short slider from a low arm slot. ROYALS

7 OF Khalil Lee (Royals No. 2) A legitimate two-way prospect as a Virginia outfielder, Lee became a full-time outfielder after signing as a second-rounder in 2016 and has the potential for solid tools across the board. He hit a combined.263/.382/.390 with six homers and 16 steals in 100 games between Class A Advanced and Double-A. Meibrys Viloria, C Viloria went 7-for-27 (.259) as a surprise September callup after hitting.260/.342/.360 with six homers in 100 Class A Advanced games. Signed out of Colombia in 2013, he's a line-drive hitter and a competent defender behind the plate. TIGERS Daz Cameron, OF (Tigers No. 8) Signed for $4 million as a 2015 supplemental first-rounder out of a Georgia high school by the Astros and traded to the Tigers in a deal for Justin Verlander two years later, Cameron batted.264/.343/.406 with eight homers and 24 steals while advancing from Class A Advanced to Triple-A this season. The son of former All-Star and Gold Glover Mike Cameron has decent hitting ability but stands out more with plus defense in center field and solid speed and arm strength. Jake Rogers, C (Tigers No. 12) Rogers ranks with the best defensive catchers in the Minors, showing a quick, accurate arm that has erased 48 percent of pro basestealers, not to mention fine receiving skills and good agility. A 2016 third-rounder from Tulane and another piece in the Verlander trade, he hit.219/.305/.412 with 17 homers in Double-A. TWINS Devin Smeltzer, LHP Smeltzer, who began his career in the Dodgers organization, began the season as a starter, but was shifted to the bullpen when he was traded to the Twins on July 31 as part of the Brian Dozier deal. Smeltzer only pitched 12 innings (10 games) in relief upon joining Double-A Chattanooga, but posted a 3.00 ERA and racked up 16 strikeouts, compared to two walks. He's had similar success in the AFL, where he hasn't allowed a run in four of his five appearances and has struck out six in as many innings. WHITE SOX Luis Robert, OF (White Sox No. 4, MLB No. 44) The White Sox believed in Robert's five-tool potential so much that they gave the Cuban defector a $26 million bonus (the secondhighest ever for an amateur) and paid a matching amount as a penalty for exceeding their signing pool in May Hampered by a left thumb injury in his first full pro season, he hit.269/.333/.360 with 15 steals in 50 games between three levels. YANKEES Estevan Florial, OF (Yankees No. 2, MLB No. 45) The Yankees' best position prospect, Florial signed out of Haiti in 2015 and has well-above-average raw power, speed and arm strength. He's also still learning at the plate but hit.283/.377/.422 with six homers and 16 steals in 84 games, mostly in high Class A, as he battled a hamate injury. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Reds Xtra: Getting Derek Johnson as pitching coach was a coup John Fay, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 11:25 a.m. ET Nov. 3, 2018 Updated 11:26 a.m. ET Nov. 3, 2018 When the Cincinnati Reds went looking for a pitching coach, the list of top qualifications probably looked something like this: Big league experience A long record of working with young pitchers A history of success without a true ace on the staff Well-versed in analytics That s pretty much Derek Johnson s resume. Reds fans haven t had a lot to celebrate lately, and it s hard to whoop it up over a coaching hire, but make no mistake hiring Johnson was a coup, particularly because the Reds stole him from division-rival Milwaukee.

8 The year before Johnson, 47, took over the Brewers finished 11th in the National League in ERA. Under him, they finished eighth, fifth and fourth. Their ERA over his tenure was 3.94, fourth best in the NL behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals. Johnson didn t have a Clayton Kershaw, Jon Lester or Max Scherzer to work with in Milwaukee and he won t in Cincinnati. Johnson has his work cut out for him. He says the Reds have the arms to be successful. I thought had some really good arms that were about ready to make a jump, Johnson said. From my perspective, I think the sky s the limit. There s a good collection of people that can make some improvements. You d expect him to say that, of course. But Johnson was in a position of power. He could have returned to the Brewers or gone to one of the other teams that pursued him. Money probably had something to do with him signing with the Reds, as did Cincinnati s proximity to his Nashville home. But no coach is going to choose a job where he doesn t think he can be successful. So, how does Johnson turn this staff around? When asked about his philosophy, he didn t talk about sliders and cutters or keeping the ball down and pitching inside. I think the one standout thing and it s something David (Bell) and I have talked about a lot, and it s something I believe in greatly baseball players, baseball coaches, and organizations probably across the board in terms of development look at trying to ship up weaknesses so to speak, Johnson said. While we do have to worry about weaknesses and to develop them further into strengths, a big part of my time is going to be spent developing our strengths. When I say that, I ve got this saying, be great at what you re good at. He continued: You can go into a lot of detail on that, but the gist of this is each one of these guys come to us with good strengths. That s why they re in the Major Leagues. That s why they are a Major League pitcher or they re close to being one. In my mind, we spend way too much time trying to kind of develop the things that they re not or the things that they don t have as opposed to trying to develop the things they re already good at. To me, that s a separator." When you look at it that way, he said, a couple of things happen. "No. 1, the player never really gets too uncomfortable. He s already good at this. It s what got him there in the first place. You re not trying to change everything about him. I think it s really important because there s a psychological benefit to this as well. The physical side of it is just the standpoint that I think you can do more with the strength than you can with a weakness or a lack of certain attributes that a pitcher has. "I think if we exploit that part of it first, a lot of things take care of themselves. That to me will be my primary focus. It s evident Johnson can pontificate a bit on pitching. He reminds me of Bryan Price in that regard. Say what you will about Price as manager, but hiring him as pitching coach in 2010 was one of best moves the club has made in recent years. When Price came in, the Reds said he would oversee the entire system. That never really happened as I could tell. The Reds are saying the same thing about Johnson. This is all about creating an organization and philosophy that s aligned, said Dick Williams, president of baseball operations. Given Johnson s background, that makes sense. He spent 10 years as the pitching coach at Vanderbilt and three years as the Cubs minor league coordinator before going to Milwaukee. The pitching coach job at the Major Leagues is as time-consuming as any job in baseball. But Johnson thinks he can work around that. I think any time you have a chance to help out with an organization from top to bottom to me that's a really exciting thing, Johnson said. As a Major-League pitching coach, I made it very clear from the beginning that I didn't want to be just the Major League pitching coach, I wanted to help, if I could, in other areas. From an honesty standpoint, that's where I'm coming from. I just want to help. If I can help the minor leagues, if I can help the minor-league coordinator, if I can help a player in the minor leagues get to the next level, if I can help coaches grow, if I can make the organization strong, that's absolutely what I want to do."

9 Cincinnati Reds hit the road to get their man; club knew it had to act fast to get Derek Johnson as pitching coach John Fay, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 5:52 p.m. ET Nov. 2, 2018 Updated 5:57 p.m. ET Nov. 2, 2018 Derek Johnson was not on the original list of potential pitching coaches for the Reds. Why would he be? He has just wrapped up a successful third season as Milwaukee s pitching coach. The Brewers would obviously want him back. But the fine print in Johnson s contract gave him a chance to be a free agent. A window of opportunity for Johnson and the Reds. When we became aware of that window, he immediately moved to the top of our list and became our focus, Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said. Manager David Bell and assistant general manager Sam Grossman talked to Johnson on the phone. They came away very impressed and re-enforced the feeling we had about him, Williams said. The Reds knew other teams were in the mix for Johnson, 47. The priority became getting a face-to-face meeting Johnson to close the deal. Honestly, because of the short-time window, we weren t sure what we were going to be able to facilitate, Williams said. This became our focus and the hire we wanted to make to kick off this coaching staff. Williams, general manager Nick Krall and Bell headed to Nashville, Johnson s offseason home, on Tuesday afternoon. We might have surprised Derek a little bit when we said we re coming,' Williams said. "A decision of this magnitude for our organization, we wanted to spend some time in person. And, frankly, I didn t want to ask Derek to make that kind of commitment like this without having a chance to see Nick and David and I in person and have a chance to ask questions and get comfortable with us. We had a really nice dinner. We were thrilled the next day when we able to get something done. Johnson is the first hire under Bell. I m just thrilled to have Derek be the first step to us putting together our staff, Bell said. Obviously, a very important member. To have this rare opportunity kind of out of the blue to get somebody like Derek is a great start. It came up and we able to go get him. It was not an easy decision for Johnson leave Milwaukee. The Brewers had 3.94 ERA in his three years there fourth best in National League, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (3.49), Chicago Cubs (3.58) and Washington Nationals (3.81). But, again, his contract gave him a chance a coach s free agency. This was an opportunity for me to see what was out there, he said. The other I d tell you from the beginning of it it didn t take very long but from the beginning of it the Reds were very persistent. They made me feel extremely comfortable. They made me feel extremely wanted. At the end of the day, it felt like was the right move for my family and I. Johnson knows what he s getting into. He s seen what the Reds have from the other side of the field. The Reds finished second last in the NL in ERA at I see across the field and have said this numerous times: I think there s a collection of some really good arms and some arms that I think can make a jump and will make a jump, regardless if I was here or not, Johnson said. I felt like it was a little bit of a sleeping giant from a standpoint of the Reds are well known for offense, they re a very good offensive club. I can tell you for the last three years I was trying to figure out how to get them out and didn t always do a great job of that. I thought they had some really good arms that were about ready to make a jump. From my perspective, I think the sky s the limit. There s a good collection of people that can make some improvements. Johnson will have reign over the whole organization. He s spent most of his career working with young pitchers. Before going to Milwaukee, he was the Cubs minor league pitching coordinator for three years. Before that, he was the pitching coach at Vanderbilt for 10 years.

10 This is all about creating an organization and philosophy that s aligned, Williams said. That s something Derek is really excited about, and we are as well. It s something every organization strives for, but it s an ongoing challenge. You have to get the right personnel with the right message and right personalities to make it happen. We ve got open staff positions that Derek will be part of filling both at the Major League and in player development. It will help us make sure we ve got the right people on board and really have an organizational approach to pitching that s consistent top to bottom. Cincinnati Reds lose Brandon Dixon, Austin Brice off waivers; claim pitcher Matt Bowman Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 4:56 p.m. ET Nov. 2, 2018 Updated 5:26 p.m. ET Nov. 2, 2018 As Major League teams adjust their 40-man rosters at the start of free agency, the Reds made several moves Friday. The Reds added right-handed reliever Matt Bowman from the St. Louis Cardinals with a waiver claim, and they lost utility player Brandon Dixon and right-handed reliever Austin Brice off waivers. Dixon was claimed by the Detroit Tigers and Brice was claimed by the Los Angeles Angels. Bowman made 22 relief appearances last season, owning a 6.26 ERA in 23 innings. He dealt with blisters that forced him to the disabled list multiple times and was diagnosed with Raynaud s syndrome, which affects blood circulation in his hands. He had surgery in September to improve blood flow to his pitching hand. Bowman, a 27-year-old right-hander, had a 3.46 ERA in 2016 and 3.99 ERA in When he s healthy, he s shown he can be a solid middle reliever. His strikeout and walk rates were both up last season. Reds manager David Bell was the Cardinals bench coach from Dixon, who was mostly used off the bench, had a.178 batting average in 74 games last season, adding five homers and 10 RBI. He filled the team s top utility role after Alex Blandino suffered a season-ending knee injury in July. During the 2018 season, Dixon showed his versatility by playing five different positions. If Blandino isn t ready for the start of the season, the Reds will have an opening for a backup infielder/utility player. Brice owned a 5.79 ERA across 33 relief outings. He gave up nine home runs in 37 ⅓ innings, striking out 32. Reds infielder Dilson Herrera and outfielder Mason Williams cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Louisville. Both players have previously been outrighted and could elect free agency. By outrighting Herrera and Williams off the 40-man roster, the Reds made room to activate Blandino, outfielder Jesse Winker and pitcher Keury Mella from the 60-day disabled list. Winker, who needed surgery on his right shoulder, hopes to be healthy for the start of Spring Training. The Reds' 40-man roster sits at 38. Teams have until Nov. 20 to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft by placing them on the 40- man roster. THE ATHLETIC Derek Johnson s job is much bigger than just coaching the Reds pitching staff By C. Trent Rosecrans Nov 2, 2018 CINCINNATI Titularly, Derek Johnson is the Reds pitching coach, but to Johnson and the rest of the Reds, his duties will go beyond the big-league pitching staff. He will be charged with something much larger, much more difficult and vital. That s why Johnson, 47, left the Milwaukee Brewers to join the Reds, to do something difficult. His new charge is building not just the Reds pitching staff, but building its identity. This is all about creating an organization and philosophy that s aligned, said Dick Williams, the Reds president of baseball operations. That s something Derek is really excited about and we are as well. It s something every organization strives for but it s an ongoing challenge. You have to get the right personnel with the right message and right personalities to make it happen.

11 The Reds officially announced Johnson as the team s new pitching coach on Friday afternoon, less than a week after Williams, General Manager Nick Krall and new manager David Bell flew to Nashville on Tuesday to talk to Johnson in person and discuss the possibility of a move to Cincinnati. It was a move that surprised Johnson, who was the belle of the ball when it came to offseason coaching moves yet Williams found a charter that could take the trio down to see Johnson in person. Johnson picked a Fleming s Steakhouse near the Vanderbilt campus, where he made his name as the college pitching coach for the likes of David Price, Sonny Gray and others. I couldn t bear the thought of not getting him and thinking we could have done more, Williams said. The deal was done by Wednesday and word had leaked out that one of the most respected pitching coaches in baseball was going from the first-place team in the National League Central to the last-place team. It would seem a curious move, but Johnson had a window in his contract with the Brewers that allowed him to look around. Cincinnati was closer to his home in Nashville and he saw an opportunity that he didn t want to pass up. The thing I d tell you is that from the beginning of it, and it didn t take very long, but from the beginning of it, the Reds were very, very persistent, Johnson said. They made me feel very comfortable. They made me feel extremely wanted. At the end of the day, I felt like it was the right move for my family and I. Johnson has quite a task ahead of him. The Reds pitching staff was next-to-last in the National League in ERA (4.63), last in runs allowed (819) and surrendered more home runs (228) than any other team in the league. Johnson s teams put up a 3.94 ERA in his three seasons as pitching coach with the Brewers. It s the fourth-best mark in the league over that time, behind the Dodgers, Cubs and Nationals teams that had much more money to spend on big-name pitchers. The Reds rotation has more questions than answers at the moment. The only certainty in the team s rotation may be 25-year-old right-hander Luis Castillo. Anthony DeSclafani hasn t started a season healthy since 2015, Homer Bailey had a historically bad 2018 and a group of other young starters Tyler Mahle, Sal Romano and Robert Stephenson among others have had their ups and downs. Still, Johnson says he s excited about the talent he will work with in Cincinnati. He s had ample opportunities as the Brewers pitching coach to see what the Reds have to offer. I looked over and saw some guys who I thought had some really good arms that were about ready to make a jump, he said. From my perspective, I think the sky s the limit. There s a good collection of people that can make some improvements. From my end, it s probably starting on a basic philosophy of the direction that we want to go, who we are and then what we re going to try to do. I think that s probably the first steps you re going to see in spring training. That basic philosophy is simple, Johnson said: Be great at what you re good at. You can go a lot into detail in that, but the gist of this is each one of these guys do come to us with good strengths, that s why they re in the Major Leagues, that s why they re a Major-League pitcher or they are close to being one, he said. We spend way too much time trying to develop the things that they are not or what they don t have as opposed to trying to develop the things that they re already good at. Reds reliever Jared Hughes, who spent the 2017 season with the Brewers, was excited to hear that Johnson was going to be the Reds new pitching coach. I m eager to work with and learn from Derek Johnson again, Hughes wrote to The Athletic in a text as he awaited the birth of his second child. He is an outstanding communicator and is all-in to every moment of every game. DJ is super in tune with his pitching staff. He respects each player s uniqueness while highlighting strengths and improving weaknesses. Reds catcher Curt Casali played for Johnson at Vanderbilt and was effusive in his praise for his former coach. I am beyond excited that DJ is our pitching coach, Casali texted The Athletic from Mexico, where he was attending a wedding this weekend. He laid the foundation for me as a game caller. He will set the tone for our pitching staff and help them immensely. Obviously, I m biased but he is one of the best pitching coaches in the league. Bell and Johnson overlapped in their time with the Cubs, when Bell served as the team s third base coach in The two knew each other because of that and had talked when they saw each other, but as the possibility of Johnson joining Bell s staff in

12 Cincinnati became a reality in the last week or so, the two spoke on the phone several times those conversations made an impact on both. It was great catching up with him over the last week and just kind of getting reacquainted and we had some really long, but indepth and great conversations over the phone, Bell said. And then, like Dick said, in person, and it became very obvious that he was someone I was really looking forward to working with again. The feeling, obviously, was mutual. Our conversations were deep, they were in-depth, Johnson said. He asked me a lot of questions that may be in an interview process you wouldn t necessarily ask, but for me, it was talking about culture, it was you guys asked earlier if I was going to have anything to do with the overall scope of pitching from the minor leagues on up to the big leagues. Those were the things that we talked about and it just excited me. And that, Johnson said, is one of the reasons he wanted to be with the Reds to do as much as possible to lead to a lasting success. There s a lot that a Major-League coach has to do during the season, we re awfully busy guys. I ve spent the majority of my day, every day, doing the different things that a pitching coach would do, and I think it s bigger than that, he said. To me, that s exciting. I ve got plenty of energy. There s more time in the day than you might think and we need to go that extra mile to get that out the organization. Transactions 11/03/18 Washington Nationals signed free agent RHP Trevor Rosenthal. 11/02/18 Cleveland Indians activated RHP James Hoyt from the 60-day disabled list. Chicago Cubs traded Player To Be Named Later and LHP Drew Smyly to Texas Rangers for Player To Be Named Later. Baltimore Orioles activated RHP Pedro Araujo from the 60-day disabled list. Baltimore Orioles activated LHP Richard Bleier from the 60-day disabled list. Baltimore Orioles activated RF Austin Hays from the 60-day disabled list. Baltimore Orioles activated DH Mark Trumbo from the 60-day disabled list. RHP Brandon Maurer elected free agency. Kansas City Royals activated 3B Cheslor Cuthbert from the 60-day disabled list. Kansas City Royals activated RHP Jesse Hahn from the 60-day disabled list. Kansas City Royals activated RF Jorge Soler from the 60-day disabled list. Kansas City Royals sent RF Paulo Orlando outright to Omaha Storm Chasers. Kansas City Royals sent 2B Ramon Torres outright to Omaha Storm Chasers. Cincinnati Reds activated 2B Alex Blandino from the 60-day disabled list. Cincinnati Reds activated RHP Keury Mella from the 60-day disabled list. Cincinnati Reds activated RF Jesse Winker from the 60-day disabled list. Cincinnati Reds claimed RHP Matt Bowman off waivers from St. Louis Cardinals. Cincinnati Reds sent 2B Dilson Herrera outright to Louisville Bats. Cincinnati Reds sent RF Mason Williams outright to Louisville Bats. Los Angeles Angels claimed RHP Austin Brice off waivers from Cincinnati Reds. Detroit Tigers claimed 2B Brandon Dixon off waivers from Cincinnati Reds. Detroit Tigers claimed LHP Jose Fernandez off waivers from Toronto Blue Jays. New York Yankees claimed SS Hanser Alberto off waivers from Texas Rangers. Seattle Mariners sent RHP Erasmo Ramirez outright to Tacoma Rainiers. Seattle Mariners sent RHP Nick Vincent outright to Tacoma Rainiers. Texas Rangers activated RHP Matt Bush from the 60-day disabled list. Texas Rangers activated RHP Doug Fister from the 60-day disabled list. Texas Rangers activated RHP Nick Gardewine from the 60-day disabled list. Texas Rangers activated RHP Ronald Herrera from the 60-day disabled list. Texas Rangers sent Austin Bibens-Dirkx outright to Nashville Sounds. Texas Rangers sent Clayton Blackburn outright to Nashville Sounds. Texas Rangers sent Brandon Mann outright to Nashville Sounds. Texas Rangers sent Carlos Perez outright to Nashville Sounds. Texas Rangers sent Ryan Rua outright to Nashville Sounds. C Robinson Chirinos elected free agency.

13 RHP Doug Fister elected free agency. LHP Matt Moore elected free agency. LHP Martin Perez elected free agency. Chicago Cubs claimed SS Jack Reinheimer off waivers from New York Mets. Chicago Cubs activated RHP Yu Darvish from the 60-day disabled list. Chicago Cubs activated RHP Justin Hancock from the 60-day disabled list. Chicago Cubs activated RHP Brandon Morrow from the 60-day disabled list. Chicago Cubs activated RF Mark Zagunis from the 60-day disabled list. Chicago Cubs sent CF Terrance Gore outright to Iowa Cubs. Chicago Cubs sent SS Mike Freeman outright to Iowa Cubs. New York Mets activated LF Yoenis Cespedes from the 60-day disabled list. New York Mets activated C Travis d'arnaud from the 60-day disabled list. New York Mets activated CF Juan Lagares from the 60-day disabled list. New York Mets activated RHP Eric Hanhold from the 60-day disabled list. New York Mets activated 3B T.J. Rivera from the 60-day disabled list. New York Mets activated RHP Bobby Wahl from the 60-day disabled list. New York Mets sent LHP P.J. Conlon outright to Syracuse Chiefs. New York Mets sent RHP Rafael Montero outright to Syracuse Chiefs. New York Mets sent 3B Phillip Evans outright to Syracuse Chiefs. New York Mets sent RHP Jamie Callahan outright to Syracuse Chiefs. Houston Astros claimed C Chris Herrmann off waivers from Seattle Mariners. Los Angeles Angels activated RHP Keynan Middleton from the 60-day disabled list. Los Angeles Angels activated RHP Jake Jewell from the 60-day disabled list. Los Angeles Angels sent C Francisco Arcia outright to Salt Lake Bees. Los Angeles Angels sent RHP Eduardo Paredes outright to Salt Lake Bees. Los Angeles Angels sent RHP Odrisamer Despaigne outright to Salt Lake Bees. Los Angeles Angels sent RHP Deck McGuire outright to Salt Lake Bees. Los Angeles Angels activated 3B Zack Cozart from the 60-day disabled list. Los Angeles Angels activated RHP Alex Meyer from the 60-day disabled list. Los Angeles Angels activated 1B Albert Pujols from the 60-day disabled list. Los Angeles Angels activated RHP JC Ramirez from the 60-day disabled list. Los Angeles Angels activated RHP Nick Tropeano from the 60-day disabled list. Los Angeles Angels sent 1B Jefry Marte outright to Salt Lake Bees. Oakland Athletics sent C Beau Taylor outright to Las Vegas 51s. Tampa Bay Rays sent RHP Andrew Kittredge outright to Durham Bulls. Tampa Bay Rays sent LHP Vidal Nuno outright to Durham Bulls. Tampa Bay Rays activated 2B Daniel Robertson from the 60-day disabled list. Tampa Bay Rays activated RHP Jose Mujica from the 60-day disabled list. Tampa Bay Rays activated RHP Wilmer Font from the 60-day disabled list. Tampa Bay Rays activated RHP Jose De Leon from the 60-day disabled list. Toronto Blue Jays sent RHP Justin Shafer outright to Buffalo Bisons. Toronto Blue Jays sent RHP Jake Petricka outright to Buffalo Bisons. Toronto Blue Jays sent RHP Taylor Guerrieri outright to Buffalo Bisons. Toronto Blue Jays sent RHP Rhiner Cruz outright to Buffalo Bisons. Toronto Blue Jays activated 3B Brandon Drury from the 60-day disabled list. Toronto Blue Jays activated SS Troy Tulowitzki from the 60-day disabled list. Colorado Rockies activated CF Yonathan Daza from the 60-day disabled list. Colorado Rockies activated LHP Mike Dunn from the 60-day disabled list. Colorado Rockies activated RHP Rayan Gonzalez from the 60-day disabled list. Los Angeles Dodgers activated RHP Erik Goeddel from the 60-day disabled list. Los Angeles Dodgers activated RHP Tom Koehler from the 60-day disabled list. Los Angeles Dodgers activated RHP Dennis Santana from the 60-day disabled list. Los Angeles Dodgers activated RHP Brock Stewart from the 60-day disabled list. Los Angeles Dodgers activated SS Corey Seager from the 60-day disabled list. Philadelphia Phillies sent SS Pedro Florimon outright to Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Pittsburgh Pirates activated RHP Chad Kuhl from the 60-day disabled list. San Diego Padres sent LF Alex Dickerson outright to El Paso Chihuahuas. San Diego Padres activated LHP Clayton Richard from the 60-day disabled list. San Diego Padres designated RHP Kazuhisa Makita for assignment. San Francisco Giants sent RHP Pierce Johnson outright to Sacramento River Cats. Baltimore Orioles signed free agent LHP Sean Gilmartin to a minor league contract.