Reds make blockbuster trade four days before Christmas

Homer Bailey’s 12-year tenure with Reds ends with deal

Four days before Christmas, the Cincinnati Reds delivered a gift to their fans in the form of a blockbuster trade.

»MCCOY: Reds-Dodgers trade tilted in favor of Cincinnati

The Reds acquired outfielders Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig, starting pitcher Alex Wood and infielder/catcher Kyle Farmer and cash from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for starting pitcher Homer Bailey, shortstop Jeter Downs, one of the franchise's top prospects, and pitching prospect Josiah Gray.

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Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart had a one-word reaction to the trade on Twitter.

"Woah," he wrote.

Here's a quick rundown on the players involved:

Who the Reds acquired

Kemp: The 34-year-old right fielder/left fielder hit .290 with 21 home runs and 85 RBIs last season. He posted his highest batting average since 2012 when he was an all-star for the second year in a row and hit .303.

Puig: The 28-year-old right fielder, a native of Cuba, has played his entire career with the Dodgers. He hit .267 last season with 23 home runs and 63 RBIs in 125 games.

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Wood: The 27-year-old left-hander was 9-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 27 starts in 2018. He made three relief appearances in the World Series against the Boston Red Sox, allowing two earned runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Farmer: After making his big-league debut with the Dodgers in 2017, the 28-year-old hit .235 with nine RBIs in 39 games in 2018.

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

Who the Reds gave up:

Bailey: The deal ends Bailey's long tenure with the Reds. In 12 seasons, Bailey, 32, was 67-77 with a 4.56 ERA in 2012 starts. He threw no-hitters in 2012 and 2013. His best seasons came in 2012 and 2013. He was 13-10 with a 3.68 ERA for the Central Division champions in 2012. The next year, he was 11-12 with a 3.49 ERA.

Bailey signed a six-year contract worth $105 million in 2013. Injuries derailed his career. He appeared in a total of eight games in 2015 and 2016. The last two seasons, Bailey started 38 games but posted an ERA over 6.00 each season.

Downs: Downs, 20, was the 32nd overall pick in the 2017 draft. He hit .257 in 120 games last season with the Single-A Dayton Dragons.

Gray: The Reds selected Gray, 21, in the second round the 72nd overall pick in the 2018 draft. He was 2-2 with a 2.58 ERA in 12 starts with Greeneville in the Appalachian League.

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