Reds May Have Chance To Trade For Future Star From Cincinnati

Baseball fans in Cincinnati had a bittersweet reaction as Ken Griffey, Jr. was inducted in the Hall of Fame last weekend. The hometown hero went into Cooperstown as a Seattle Mariner, the team for which he spent the prime years of his career.

The Kid did enjoy some good seasons after arriving to Cincinnati in 2000, but his eleven seasons with the Mariners were much more productive. The fact that he won his Most Valuable Player awards and his home run crowns all the way on the West Coast leaves most Cincinnatians wondering how much sweeter his induction would be had the Reds been able to draft him.

Two other Hall of Fame worthy Reds who grew up in Cincinnati to be drafted by the Reds are Barry Larkin and Pete Rose. Larkin spent his entire career with the Reds, so he was naturally inducted in a Cincinnati uniform when he entered the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Rose, whose lifetime ban from baseball has helped keep him out of the Hall of Fame, would certainly be recognized as a member of the Reds. He won all of his major awards in Cincinnati, including Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and three batting titles.

While it is much too early to enshrine the latest rising star who grew up in Cincinnati, the Reds may have a chance to acquire him before he reaches the Big Leagues. With the trading deadline approaching its last days, outfielder Andrew Benintendi may be available.

Benintendi starred at Cincinnati’s Madeira High School, which is just four minutes from the well-known alma mater of Griffey, Jr. and Larkin called Moeller. As a senior Benintendi won nearly every award in the state, including Player of the Year before playing college ball at Arizona prior to being taken in the first round by Boston.

The number three prospect of the Red Sox has risen rapidly through the system and is currently at Double A Portland. Benintendi, who is the number 21 prospect in all of baseball, projects as a perennial .300 hitter with twenty home runs per year.

In spite of the huge upside, Boston may be willing to move him at the trade deadline in order to solidify their chance to win the wide open race at the top of the American League East. Also making Benintendi expendable is the surplus of outfield talent already playing in Fenway Park, young stars like Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Mookie Betts.

What the Reds Sox lack is starting pitchers, especially in the rotation spots behind Steven Wright and Rob Porcello. Free agent David Price was supposed to serve as the ace, but he has struggled in his first year in Boston. The other pieces of the rotation have been even worse, including number four man Clay Bucholz with his 3-9 record and 6.10 earned run average.

Contrast those numbers with the ace of the Cincinnati staff, Anthony Desclafani. The right hander is 6-0 with a 3.09 ERA, and he remains undefeated in all nine starts. These numbers are even more impressive when you consider that he has accomplished this impeccable record while playing with the last place Reds, a team that is currently 21 games under .500.

Granted, Boston would not be crazy about giving up its third best prospect for a virtually unknown pitcher, but Desclafani would be a great addition for the Red Sox. His team-friendly contract makes him more attractive than veteran hurlers like Oakland’s Sonny Gray or San Diego’s Andrew Cashner.

The Reds would be giving up their best starter this year, but the team is building for 2018. By that time Benintendi should be developing into a Major League star, a Cincinnati native who could be spending his prime with the Reds.

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