Reds added left-handed pitcher Brooks Raley to the list of 40 men and they have appointed outfielder Scott Schebler for assignment, as reported by Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Schebler, one of the pillars of the Reds teams in 2017 and 2018, has quickly been lost in favor with the club as he gathers a new crop of young outfielders. Jesse Winker, Phil Ervin, Nick senzeland Aristides Aquino have outscored Schebler for playing time and newcomers Nicholas Castellanos and Shogo Akiyama only the Schebler paper is cut further.
Last year was a disaster for Schebler, 29, who hobbled to a .123 / .253 / .222 batting line, albeit only in 95 plate appearances. However, in the previous two years, Schebler was a different player, even hitting the 30-homer benchmark in 2017. From 2017-2018, he hit an OPS of .785 while consistently playing all three field positions. He is a player who can provide something of value to a team, and teams with a thin mix of open field should have some interest in Schebler, which must be traded or exposed to the other 29 teams through waivers in the next 7 days. . If you go through exemptions, you can be released or assigned directly to minors. However, that is not a fact, and it may be worth claiming him as a deep fielder.
Meanwhile, Raley is a particularly interesting case: The 32-year-old left-hander has not appeared in a major league game since 2013, when he was with the Cubs. After a season in the Angels and Twins’ minor league systems, he traveled to South Korea, where he played at KBO since 2015.
He’s got a shot at the Reds this year as an unlisted guest, and now he’s made him a spot on the 40-man roster. Nothing is certain, but there is a good chance he will decipher Cincinnati Opening Day 30, joining a bullpen that will be key to the Reds’ performance this year. There is no doubt that the rotation may be up there with the best in the National League, but the bullpen will need to collectively improve to compete in the Central division.
In five seasons with the KBO Lotte Giants, Raley pitched 910 2/3 innings, making at least 30 starts each year. He struck out a total of 755 hitters and posted a 4.13 ERA. Last year was the best in terms of home run prevention, but he also delivered more walks than ever.
