Credit: Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
The New York Mets are acquiring outfielder Tyler Naquin and reliever Phillip Diehl from the Cincinnati Reds for two minor-leaguers, multiple media outlets reported Thursday night.
The Reds would receive right-hander Jose Acuna and infielder Hector Rodriguez.
The 31-year-old Naquin, who is in his seventh season in the majors and second with the Reds, set career highs with 19 home runs and 70 RBIs in 2021. He is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.
Naquin, said Reds general manager Nick Krall, “did a great job for us last year and great job for us this year. He’s going to be a free agent at the end of the year. Definitely wish him well with his career. Going to a first-place club, that’s great for him.”
Limited to 56 games this season by injury and an appearance on the COVID-19 injury list, Naquin is hitting .246, 23 points below his career average, with seven home runs and 33 RBIs.
The lefty-hitting Naquin has fared far better against right-handers in his career, batting .280 with a slugging mark of .473. He entered play Thursday with 50 home runs and 191 RBIs against right-handers, vs. six and 31 against left-handers.
Naquin homered on Thursday off left-hander Steven Okert in Cincinnati’s 7-6 loss to the visiting Miami Marlins.
Diehl, a left-hander, pitched in five games for the Reds this season and posted an ERA of 11.12 in 5 2/3 innings. He appeared in 16 games over two seasons (2019-20) for the Colorado Rockies, where he pitched to an ERA of 8.78 in 13 1/3 innings. He has no decisions in the majors.
In two minor league seasons, most recently with Single-A St. Lucie of the Florida State League, Acuna is 4-0 with a 2.88 ERA in 12 games, eight as a starter.
Rodriguez hit .364 and slugged .576 in 106 plate appearances in rookie ball before being moved up to St. Lucie this month.
–Field Level Media