Cincinnati Reds They are buying young shortstop Kyle Holder in a deal with the Phillies, well-known ESPN journalist Jeff Passan reported (Twitter link). Both teams have officially announced the deal, and the cash considerations are going to the Phillies instead. The measure will free up space in the list of the 40 men in Philadelphia, so the signing Gregory learned by Phils could be officially announced soon.
The Yankees selected Holder with the 30th pick (first round) in the 2015 draft and continued to hit .264 / .317 / .350 over 1,744 bats in the New York agricultural system. Holder then moved to the Phillies as a draft pick in the Dec. 5 rule, and under Rule 5, Holder will now have to remain on Cincinnati’s active roster for the rest of the season, otherwise the Reds will have to give them back to the Yankees. .
With Gregorius back, Holder was an unusable role in Philadelphia, but he could play a bigger role for the Reds. Given the lack of depth of the Cincinnati break, in fact, Holder could even be in line for action at the starting line, unless the Reds add a more established infielder between now and Opening Day.
To that end, famed MLB.com reporter Jon Heyman wrote on Twitter that the Reds are still hoping to acquire Amed Rosario from Cleveland, after reports linked Cincinnati to Rosario earlier this week.
While the 26-year-old Holder, 1.85 meters tall, did not hit too many minors and did not even play a Triple-A ball yet, he is a well-appreciated defender, whose glove may already be of caliber in the Major League Leggings.
Holder, a native of San Diego, California, played shortstop primarily for minors, but also had time at second and third bases, so he could serve as a valuable resource on the red bench.