Reds add prospects in trade
Eight-player swap with Nats includes several Minor Leaguers
By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com
In Thursday's eight-player trade, there were several Minor Leaguers involved. Bill Bray, Brendan Harris and Daryl Thompson are all intriguing prospects who are now a part of the Cincinnati Reds organization. Here's some more information on each of them:
Bill Bray, LHP
Bray was the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals' first-round pick (No. 13 overall) in the 2004 draft. A college closer at William & Mary, the lefty has a plus fastball and slider and previously showed the makings of a changeup, causing the Nationals to think about moving Bray into the rotation.
They decided to let him stay in the 'pen, and after dealing with some injuries that slowed him out of the gate, he's moved very quickly. That, of course, was by design, as the Nationals hoped Bray would be another reliever in the Chad Cordero mode -- a college closer who could reach the big leagues quickly.
After throwing just 47 total innings from the time he was drafted until the start of the 2006 season, the 23-year-old Bray shook off a rough April and was the dominant reliever in May the organization thought they had all along. He posted a 2.84 ERA in 11 games, holding hitters to a .179 average while striking out 29 and walking six over 19 innings.
That led to his first call to the big leagues, where Bray has appeared in a total of 19 games out of the Nats' bullpen. His first month wasn't anything to write home about -- a 5.87 ERA in 15 1/3 innings -- but he hasn't allowed a run in six July outings spanning 7 2/3 innings. He should fit nicely into the Reds' relief core immediately.