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The Reds announced Monday that theyve acquired first baseman and cash from the Mariners in exchange for minor league catcher . Seattle designated France for a signment last week. Cincinnati also placed catcher on the 10-day injured list due to a lat strain, selected the contract of catcher from Triple-A Louisville and transferred righty to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot. Their 40-man roster is now at capacity. Seattle is reportedly sending around $1.29MM to cover part of Frances remaining salary. Entering the season, the notion of the Reds acquiring a first baseman wouldve seemed silly. Cincinnati had an infield surplus and a particular glut of first basemen, with , and offseason signee Kelvin Caceres Jersey all standing as options at the position. However, Encarnacion-Strands season ended early due to wrist surgery, while Steer has seen significant time in the outfield. Candelario has spent much of the year at third base but has been at first base more frequently since returned from an 80-game PED suspension. France figures to slide in at first base certainly against left-handed pitching while Candelario could see increased time at designated hitter. Originally drafted by the Padres, France went to Seattle alongside in the 2020 trade that sent catcher from Seattle to San Diego. He broke out immediately with the Ms and for several seasons was one of their most productive hitters even earning a well-deserved All-Star nod in 2022. From 2020-22, France posted a combined .285/.355/.443 batting line. He belted 42 homers despite playing in the games most pitcher-friendly park, adding 68 doubles and three triples along the way. He didnt walk much (6.5%) but also went down on strikes in only 16.7% of his plate appearances. Frances bat took a step back in 2023, when he hit .250/.337/.366 with a dozen homers. His bat-to-ball skills remained strong, however, and his batted-ball metrics remained in line with those that hed posted during that strong 2020-22 run. A dip in his homer-to-flyball rate was at least partially to blame, and the Mariners tendered France a contract despite the down year, understandably betting on his track record and the ostensibly fluky nature of his 23 downturn. The rebound the Ms had expected never manifested, unfortunately, and this years struggles are more alarming. Frances contact skills have dipped noticeably. After making contact on 91.2% of pitches in the strike zone in the three preceding seasons, his contact rate on balls in the zone has dropped to 87%. Hes chased off the plate le s but also swung le s in general as well, dropping from a 52.5% swing rate to a 48% mark. As hes gotten more pa sive and made contact in the zone le s often, pitchers have attacked him more (58% first-pitch strike rate in 2021-23; 61.2% in 24). The change in approach hasnt worked out, as Frances strikeout rate has spiked to a career-worst 24.4%. The Reds, in dire need of an offensive jolt, will send a low-level catching prospect to the Mariners in hope of turning France around. Hell move from one of the worst settings for a hitter (Seattles T-Mobile Park) to one of the best (Cincinnatis Great American Ball Park) and that swap alone should help France in the power department. The Reds will hope that the change in scenery and some new coaching input and new data from their front office can help France get back to his prior form. Theyve received an awful .215/.266/.363 slash from their first basemen this season, so France will have a low bar to clear when it comes to providing an upgrade.. If France is indeed able to return to form or at least more closely approximate his peak form hell be a multi-year option for Cincinnati. Hes not currently signed to a contract for the 2025 season but is arbitration-eligible one final time this winter. The Reds would owe him a raise on this years $6.775MM salary, though his early struggles in Seattle should tamp down the weight of any salary increase and keep him shy of $10MM. If not, France would be a trade or (likelier) non-tender candidate in the offseason. As for the Mariners, theyll bring in a 21-year-old catcher whos played parts of four seasons in the Reds system. Salcedo carries a .246/.347/.330 batting line in a still-small sample of 98 profe sional games. Hes fanned in 27.5% of his plate appearances but also walked at a hearty 11.4% clip. Hes not regarded among the Reds top prospects, but that sort of low-level lottery ticket return is to be expected for a veteran player on a notable salary. In the meantime, theyll continue to give regular playing time at first base to top prospect while also scouring the market for an additional bat to add to the mix after acquiring from the Rays last week. reported the specifics of the cash considerations. Gustavo Campero Jersey |
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发表于 2026-3-17 15:53:09