The Reds get short stop Kyle Holder in a trade with the Phillies, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN (Twitter link). Both teams officially announced the deal, with cash considerations going to the Phillies in return. The move will free up a spot on Philadelphia’s 40-man list, according to the Phils signing Didi Gregorius may be officially announced soon.
The Yankees selected Holder with the 30th overall pick of the 2015 draft, and he went on to hit .264 / .317 / .350 over 1744 PA in New York’s farm system. Holder then moved to the Phillies as a choice in December’s Rule 5 draft, and according to Rule 5 provisions, Holder will now have to remain on Cincinnati’s active list all season, otherwise the Reds will have to offer him to the Yankees again. .
With Gregory back in the kraal, Holder was an indispensable role in Philadelphia, but he could possibly play a bigger role for the Reds. Given Cincinnati’s lack of shortstop depth, Holder could even be in the starting lineup to act in the starting lineup unless the Reds add a more established fielder between the first and first day. For the purpose, Jon Heyman of MLB.com tweets what the Reds are still hoping to acquire Amed Rosario of the Indians, after reports linked Cincinnati to Rosario earlier this week.
While Holder has yet to hit much in the minors and he hasn’t even played a Triple-A ball yet, he is a reputed defender whose glove may already be a big league caliber. Holder mostly played briefly in the minors, but also saw time on the second and third bases so he could serve as a valuable utility on the Reds bench.