Indians Trade Bauer to Reds, Acquire Puig, Reyes

The Cleveland Indians traded starter Trevor Bauer to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. They acquired outfielders Yasiel Puig from Cincinnati and Franmil Reyes from San Diego as part of a three-team deal that included the Padres.

Left-handed 22-year-old reliever Logan Allen, minor league infielder Victor Nova and left-handed pitching prospect Scott Moss are also headed to Cleveland from the Padres. Minor league outfielder Taylor Trammell, formerly of the Reds and one of the highest-rated prospects in baseball, was sent to the Padres in the exchange.

Bauer, an All-Star in 2018 and the biggest name in the three-team swap, posted a 3.79 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 185 strikeouts in 156 2/3 innings this season. He has not pitched as effectively as he did in last year's breakout campaign. 

Trevor Bauer was sent to the Reds in a blockbuster deal. (USA Today Sports Image)

With Bauer set to become a free agent after the 2020 season, the small-market Indians wanted to deal the mercurial right-hander before he eventually hit the open market. 

The eccentric Bauer had a disastrous final outing with Cleveland, chucking the ball over center field after he was taken out of the game by manager Terry Francona in a loss to the lowly Kansas City Royals. Bauer surrendered eight runs (seven earned) in 4.1 innings in the defeat and took his frustrations out in embarrassing fashion.

After giving up a go-ahead, 2-run single, Trevor Bauer chucked the ball... over the centerfield wall 😳

(via @FSKansasCity) pic.twitter.com/s3LNn7kLzf

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 28, 2019

One of the best strikeout pitchers in baseball, the Reds hope the 28-year-old Bauer will be a key piece of the future in their rebuild.

By acquiring Puig and Reyes, the Indians are adding much-needed power to their lineup. Puig mashed 22 homers with 61 RBIs across 91 games for the Reds. Reyes launched 27 homers and added 46 RBIs in 99 contests with the Padres. The Indians' corner outfielders have combined for just 28 homers thus far in 2019.

The Indians (62-43) hold the American League's top wild-card spot and trail the Minnesota Twins by just two games in the AL Central.

Sizemore's single in 12th lifts Red Sox over Reds

Emerging as the feel-good story of spring training, Grady Sizemore had come back down to earth. Mired in a 3-for-37 slump entering Tuesday’s homestand, the 31-year-old needed a spark to lift him out of his prolonged funk.

Sizemore’s hitting woes came to a screeching halt on Tuesday as the Boston Red Sox’s center fielder delivered with three-hits, none bigger than his Green Monster-smashing single that scored David Ortiz from second base in the 12^th inning. Sizemore’s wall-ball base knock lifted the Red Sox to a 4-3 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

The single gave Sizemore his fourth career walk-off hit, his first since Aug. 11, 2006, against the Kansas City Royals, then a member of the Cleveland Indians.

"It will never get old to walk off," said Sizemore, via SFGate.com. "I was just glad I could come through."

Coming up in the clutch, Sizemore proved he can be an integral piece to the Red Sox as they build toward restoring their dominance in the MLB.

"He feels like the game is coming back to him," Red Sox manager John Farrell said, via telegram.com. "With a walk-off hit like this, he feels he's contributing, not just some player coming back from an injury."

For Sizemore, a walk-off single builds confidence to a player looking to recapture his glory after injuries almost decimated his career.

"Honestly, considering everything else I've gone through, this is easy," Sizemore said, via MassLive.com. "This is fun."

The Red Sox are now 1-2 in extra innings contests at Fenway Park, posting a 2-2 record overall in extras.

Cincinnati Reds vs. Boston Red Sox Series Preview

The Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds will square off on Tuesday for just the third time since battling on the national stage in the epic 1975 World Series. The Reds will visit Fenway Park for the first time since 2005 as they take on the defending champions for a quick midweek two-game series.

Homer Bailey (2-2) of the Reds will oppose the Red Sox’s Felix Doubront (1-3) in the series-opener. Bailey is fresh off his finest pitching performance of the season, hurling eight innings with just three runs allowed in a victory over the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Faltering in each of his past three starts, Doubront has yet to make it through seven innings in 2014. The left-hander has been unable to record a victory since earning a win in his first start of the year.

The Red Sox do not have much experience against Bailey. The only players with more than two career at-bats against Bailey are Grady Sizemore (2-for-10) and Shane Victorino (4-for-11, HR).

Jake Peavy will look for some run support when he takes the mound for the series-finale. Peavy has been an imposing force in the Red Sox’s rotation, posting a 2.87 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings pitched. Peavy’s pedestrian 1-1 record does not reflect the season the right-hander has had thus far.

On the opposite side, Mike Leake, who knows what it feels like to be a hard-luck loser, will take the hill for the Reds. Leake (2-3) is coming off a dominant start in which he surrendered just two runs in eight innings, yet was hooked for the loss in a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Brewers.

Receiving positive news on the injury front was Red Sox relief pitcher Edward Mujica, who dealt with discomfort in his right oblique as he warmed up in the bullpen in Saturday’s contest versus the Oakland A’s. Mujica will avoid a trip to the disabled list, according to Red Sox manager John Farrell.

“This isn't a DL situation as a result of the exam this morning," Farrell said, via MetroWest Daily News. "Likely unavailable today. Give him today and tomorrow ... to continue to receive treatment and see where we are when we open up against Cincinnati (on Tuesday)."

The Red Sox and Reds will both get a day off on Thursday, before each squad hits the road for its respective weekend series. These two clubs will meet again this year in Cincinnati for a two-game series on Aug. 12-13.