Reds, Dodgers agree to blockbuster, 7-player trade

The Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a seven-player trade, a mega-deal that marks the end of right fielder Yasiel Puig ‘s six-year tenure in Tinseltown.

The two teams, who both compete in Major League Baseball ‘s National League , signed off on the deal on Friday after weeks of offseason talks.

In addition to the multi-talented Puig, the Reds also acquired veteran outfielder Matt Kemp , starting pitcher Alex Wood and infielder/catcher Kyle Farmer.

In return, the Dodgers picked up starting pitcher Homer Bailey , who has undergone three arm operations in recent years, and two prospects: Colombian-American infielder Jeter Downs and pitcher Josiah Gray.

The wealthy Dodgers also sent $7 million to the Reds to make the deal happen.

The Reds made the offseason splash to try to turn around the fortunes of a franchise that has posted five straight losing seasons and four consecutive seasons with at least 94 defeats (over a 162-game schedule).

“We’re not done,” the Reds’ president of baseball operations, Dick Williams, said after the deal was completed. “We still have resources to make this team better. We intend to continue to work throughout this offseason to improve the club.”

The 32-year-old Bailey was a key member of a Reds team that made the playoffs in 2012 and 2013, but he put up unsightly numbers in 2018 (1-14 with a 6.09 ERA).

The 27-year-old Wood made the MLB All-Star Game in 2017 and finished that season with a record of 16-3 and a 2.72 ERA. He also put up solid numbers in 2018 - 9-7 with a 3.68 ERA.

The 28-year-old Puig burst on the scene five years ago, finishing second in the 2013 NL Rookie of the Year voting and also making the All-Star Game the following season.

His brash, attention-grabbing style also made him a fan favorite in Los Angeles.

But Puig has not posted an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) above .850 over the past four seasons and at times has hurt the Dodgers with undisciplined play.

Since the Dodgers did not receive any impact player in the trade, the deal is likely just a prelude to a bigger deal for a team that has finished runner-up the past two seasons and is seeking its first World Series title since 1988.

The 2019 MLB season will begin in late March.