Reds outright Espinal, Gibaut to Louisville
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CINCINNATI -- The Reds trimmed a second player off of their 40-man roster this week when infielder/outfielder Santiago Espinal was sent outright to Triple-A Louisville on Friday.
Espinal batted .243 with a .574 OPS in 114 games this season. However, he provided good defense at several positions -- including third base (66 games), second base and the outfield.
But once Cincinnati picked up third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes from the Pirates on July 30 before the Trade Deadline, Espinal's playing time dried up. He had only 33 plate appearances in 20 games after the acquisition -- including three plate appearances and five games for all of September. Espinal also did not appear in either of the Reds' two postseason games vs. the Dodgers.
Acquired in a trade from the Blue Jays for a Minor League pitcher on March 20, 2024, after Spring Training injuries decimated Cincinnati's infield, Espinal proved valuable the previous season. He batted .246 with a .651 OPS and a career-high nine home runs in 118 games.
On Tuesday, the Reds outrighted reliever Ian Gibaut to Louisville. Gibaut had a 4.62 ERA while being limited to 25 appearances because of a right shoulder impingement that put him on the injured list June 30, costing him the rest of the season.
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Gibaut was limited to two games in 2024 because of a right forearm injury that required surgery and was non-tendered after the season. He returned on a Minor League deal in January.
Both Espinal and Gibaut, who were arbitration-eligible before being removed from the roster, have the right to reject the outright assignment and elect free agency.