Rosenthal: Royals get Cueto

[Kramerica Industries]

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/625319464121274368

 

[Darnell's Son]

https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/625329505754726400

 

[BosRedSox5]

As an aside. Reporting has changed so much. I mean. Years ago someone like Rosenthal would hear that the Royals were getting Cueto... and he struggling for more information. You can't go to print/radio with that! You need details. 

Now there's a big rush to get the news out fast and twitter provides a good medium for that. He can get credit for the scoop and now has a little more time to dig for details and write a report about it. 

 

[MakMan44]

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/625332413514805248

 

[soxhop411]

Jon Morosi ‏@jonmorosi  5s5 seconds ago
John Lamb is expected to be among prospects going to #Reds in Johnny Cueto trade, source says. #Royals @FOXSports

 

[soxhop411]

John Fay ‏@johnfayman  42s42 seconds ago
Price says Cueto has not been trade. “Absolutely no movement.” #reds

 

[E5 Yaz]

 
John Fay ‏@johnfayman  42s42 seconds ago
Price says Cueto has not been trade. “Absolutely no movement.” #reds
 

 
Not sure how much stock I'd put into what Price has to say, since he also said this
 
John Fay ‏@johnfayman  5m5 minutes ago
Price also said the Lorenzen was never told he was going to start last night’s game.

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

Still no word on the return huh? That's a bit weird.

 

[soxhop411]

CBS Sports MLB ‏@CBSSportsMLB  35s35 seconds ago
Royals-Reds trade official: Johnny Cueto and cash for Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed

 

[luckysox]

Reds did pretty good there, methinks. Hope the Royals can get return on that investment this season. 

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Finnegan is a steep price for a rental.

 

[Thelobsterroll]

What would an equivalent offer from the sox be?

 

[amfox1]

What would an equivalent offer from the sox be?

 
Finnegan = Kelly
Reed > Ball
Lamb < Johnson

 

[PedroSpecialK]

 
Finnegan = Kelly

 
 

 

[Cesar Crespo]

Am I missing something on Finnegan? He's a MR with control problems. Granted he's still young.

 

[Zedia]

I assume he means Owens? Owens was BA's #44 last year, Finnegan #55.

 

[amfox1]

No, I mean Kelly.  Guy with good stuff, not enough command who may be destined for the bullpen.  KC has messed around with Finnegan instead of leaving him as a starter. My guess is that Cinci will try Finnegan as a starter next spring.  (Could have said Workman, but he has no value any more)

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

You're not good at this game.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

No, I mean Kelly.  Guy with good stuff, not enough command who may be destined for the bullpen.  KC has messed around with Finnegan instead of leaving him as a starter. My guess is that Cinci will try Finnegan as a starter next spring.  (Could have said Workman, but he has no value any more)

 
He's still young, first of all...younger than Kelly by a couple years at least.  He was a first round draft pick last year who got moved to the pen so they could fast track him to the big leagues.  The guy's still got a ton of potential as a starter.  Owens is a fair comp.  The only difference is that the Sox are taking their time rather than rushing him.

 

[Scoops Bolling]

Finnegan got 27 IP in the minors before hitting the MLB last year, and this year the Royals have yo-yoed him between the minors and the MLB, and between starting and relieving depending upon their need at the time. Given a chance to actually get into a normal starting routine should help him quite a bit. He's much more in the Owens/Rodriguez level than he is Joe Kelly, let alone Brandon Workman. That's rank absurdity.

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

He probably listened to drek17 when he insisted last offseason that Cueto could be had for Workman and friggin Sean Coyle.

Prospect humpers gonna hump, yo.

 

[rymflaherty]

In regards to the Kelly - Finnegan comp. ...Kelly is more than just a couple years older, it's a 5 year difference.
Finnegan was drafted just last year and is only 22.
 
 
If the Sox really did see Cueto as a long-term solution.  This could be for the best, as long as Cueto makes it to free agency.  That would have been a steep price to pay for the chance to try to reach a backroom agreement ahead of time.

 

[amfox1]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/majors/trade-central-cueto-heads-kansas-city/
 

What they get in return are two power arm lefties who could blossom into mid-rotation starters or at worst should be useful bullpen pieces and a third lefthander who is ready to jump right into the back of their rotation if needed.
 

 

Finnegan struggled early this year as he bounced between a potential big league bullpen role and further development as a starter in Double-A and Triple-A. With the Royals battling for the best record in the American League, Finnegan’s development had to be sidetracked for his ability to immediately help the big league club. Finnegan’s control has backed up this year, which is a concern because Finnegan’s effortful delivery (and his small stature) already led some scouts to believe he is best suited to be a reliever. He hasn’t pitched more than four innings in a game this season and has topped three innings only once.
Coming to the Reds, there is no reason he shouldn’t be given another chance to lengthen out into a starting role. Finnegan has the arsenal of a starting pitcher and while he is short, he has some present strength. If Finnegan moves back into a starting role, he needs to work on regaining the feel for his changeup. As a reliever, he’s largely junked the pitch but it was above-average at times when he was pitching as a starter in college. This year Finnegan has largely focused on using his 92-95 mph fastball and his slider which flashes above-average.
 

 
 

It’s been an excellent bounce-back season for the 2013 second-round pick out of Northwest Mississippi CC. Reed had a big arm and shaky control when the Royals drafted him, something that was evident in his 6.9 BB/9 in his pro debut.

With a better finish to his delivery, he developed the ability to locate more consistently down in the zone, allowing his 92-95 mph fastball (which touches 97 mph at its best) to play better down in the zone. It has late life when he elevates it as well. Reed flashes an above-average slider that he can now throw for strikes as well as using as a chase pitch. And his once fringy changeup has improved to become an average offering. It once was too hard, but he’s improved the separation between it and his fastball.
 

 

[Lamb] was once the best pitching prospect in the Royals’ organization (ranked No. 18 in the minors) as a polished lefthander with a plus fastball and an outstanding changeup to go with excellent control and feel. But Lamb blew out his elbow in 2011. When he returned in 2012 his fastball seemed to be left on the operating table. The one-time 90-96 mph fastball suddenly struggled to crack 90 mph regularly. For most of the next three seasons Lamb had to figure out how to succeed with significantly less arm speed. But this year some of that arm speed has come back. He now sits 88-93 mph, but he’ll touch 95 occasionally. More importantly he’s added a cutter that has quickly become a pitch that compensates for his still fringy curveball. His changeup isn’t as good as it was pre-injury but it’s an average offering as well. Lamb projects now as a potential No. 4/No. 5 starter. 
 

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

I'm confused as to whether you think those quotes support your analysis or if you just don't understand that profile =/= trade value.

Finnegan, even if he were the exact same profile of Kelly (which he's not), is five years younger, left handed and has a full six seasons of club control attached to him. He also hasn't shit the bed when he's gotten a chance to pitch in the majors.

 

[The Tax Man]

Ian York brings his unique visual analysis to the Royals' new ace:
 

The Kansas City Royals and the Cincinnati Reds, during their negotiations over ace Johnny Cueto, must have both felt anxious when Cueto had back-to-back weak performances on July 12 and 19. On the 12th, Cueto gave up five runs (three earned) in a five-inning outing. On the 19th, he pitched his shortest game of the year, only giving up two runs in four innings but walking no less than six – double his previous high for the year. Cueto bounced back on July 25, pitching eight strong innings (four hits, one walk and no runs) against Colorado, and the trade to the Royals was announced on the 26th. Cueto’s three most recent games are worth a look, if only because they illustrate some of his strengths.