CINCINNATI (AP) — In a deadline deal, the Cincinnati Reds acquired right-handed pitcher Jose De León in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.
Approximately 15 minutes before Wednesday’s 8 p.m. deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft, the Reds acquired De León from the Rays for a player to be named later or cash.
De León, 27, made three relief appearances with the Rays this past season. He struck out seven batters in four innings, allowing three hits, three walks and one earned run.
In the minor leagues, De León owned a 3.51 ERA in 17 appearances — 13 starts — at Triple-A Durham. He struck out 74 and walked 30 in 56 innings before awarded a brief promotion to the major leagues in August.
A 24th-round pick in the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the are hoping De León provides additional pitching depth.
De León missed the 2018 season after he underwent Tommy John surgery. He was ranked as the No. 25 prospect in the Rays’ organization by MLB.com
In other transactions, the Reds promoted right-handed pitchers Tony Santillan, Ryan Hendrix and Tejay Antone, along with catcher Tyler Stephenson to the 40-man roster Wednesday.
Cincinnati’s 40-man roster now stands at 40 players after adding De León.
Before an injury-filled 2017 season, De León was considered a top-50 prospect across the entire minor leagues. The Dodgers traded him to the Rays on Jan. 23, 2017, for infielder Logan Forsythe.