Cincinnati Reds continue to dump salary this offseason

The Cincinnati Reds essentially dumped salary by sending Raisel Iglesias to the Los Angeles Angels for Noe Ramirez and a player to be named later.

The Cincinnati Reds have been a frequent visitor to trade rumors over the past couple of weeks. There has been speculation that Sonny Gray is on the trade block, although that could be a matter of the Reds doing their due diligence. But that will not stop speculation.

It was not a surprise that the Reds made a trade on Monday. However, the fact that they traded Raisel Iglesias to the Los Angeles Angels came from out of nowhere.

In exchange for Iglesias, the Reds received Noe Ramirez and a player to be named later. Ramirez is actually two weeks older than Iglesias, but makes a fraction of his salary and is under team control for three more years.

This trade also continues the Reds trend of shedding salary this offseason. Their decision to non-tender Archie Bradley, Brian Goodwin, and Curt Casili, along with this trade, has removed approximately $20 million from their roster.

While this trade frees up even more payroll, the Reds now have some questions in their bullpen. Iglesias may have had a somewhat tenuous hold on the closer position, but he had recaptured his form in 2020. As of now, the Reds appear to be set to choose between Amir Garrett and Lucas Sims for the closer role.

While both pitchers performed well in the Reds bullpen in 2020, neither has exactly proven that they can handle the ninth inning. The duo has one total save between then, with Garrett closing out that game. Both arms may be intriguing options for that role but neither are a guarantee.

It is also possible that the Reds take those savings and reinvest them into the bullpen. Iglesias was set to be a free agent at the end of the year, leaving the Reds in a difficult spot. They could now use that money to bring in a long term option, strengthening the bullpen and potentially adding another bat to the lineup.

The Cincinnati Reds have continued to shed salary by trading Raisel Iglesias. But what this means for the 2021 roster remains to be seen.