The Cincinnati Reds have informed the media, including Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, that they have acquired outfielder Bubba Thompson off waivers. The Minnesota Twins had previously designated him for assignment. In order to make room for Thompson, the Reds have designated right-handed pitcher Levi Stoudt for assignment.
Thompson, who will turn 26 in June, has been bouncing around between teams for the past six months. After being designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers in August, he has since been claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Royals, Reds, New York Yankees, and now the Reds once again. The significant interest in Thompson is due to his exceptional speed and strong defensive skills. However, his uncertain spot on a roster is a result of his struggles at the plate.
During his time with the Rangers, Thompson had 241 plate appearances over the past two seasons. He only walked in 4.6% of those plate appearances and struck out at a rate of 29.9%. His batting line of .242/.286/.305 translates to a wRC+ of 65, indicating that he has performed 35% worse than the average hitter in the league. While he has been more productive in the minors, his performance is still below par. In Triple-A since the beginning of 2022, Thompson has a walk rate of 7.4%, a strikeout rate of 24.1%, and a batting line of .283/.346/.442, resulting in a wRC+ of 96.
Nevertheless, Thompson is considered one of the fastest runners in the game, with Statcast ranking him in the 100th percentile for sprint speed. He has successfully stolen 22 bases out of 27 attempts at the major league level and has numerous steals in the minors as well. His speed has contributed to his strong defensive ratings during his time in the majors.
Thompson still has two option years remaining and is highly sought after by teams across the league. He can serve as a depth player, receiving regular at-bats in the minors, or as a speed-and-defense asset off the bench. The Reds have shown enough interest in him to claim him off waivers for the second time recently. Although he may find himself off the roster again soon, if he remains, he will be competing for a spot on their depth chart. The Reds already have TJ Friedl, Will Benson, Jake Fraley, and Stuart Fairchild in their outfield mix. Additionally, their crowded infield may push players like Spencer Steer and Jonathan India to the outfield.
Stoudt, now 26 years old, was acquired by the Reds as part of the Luis Castillo trade in 2022. He was considered a notable prospect in the Seattle Mariners’ system, but he has not been able to replicate his success at higher levels of the minors or in the majors. He made a brief MLB debut last year, pitching 10 1/3 innings and allowing 11 earned runs. In 82 1/3 Triple-A innings, he posted a 6.23 ERA, a 15.1% strikeout rate, and a 13% walk rate.
Clearly, it was a challenging year for Stoudt, and he has now been removed from the Reds’ roster. The team will have one week to either trade him or place him on waivers. Stoudt still has a couple of options remaining, and there are many teams in need of pitching, which may increase his chances of finding a new club in the coming days.
According to the Source mlbtraderumors.com