Welcome to the Blue, Tony Cingrani!

The second trade of the afternoon was for another left-handed reliever. This time the Dodgers go to Cincy to add 28-year-old lefty Tony Cingrani for catching prospect Hendrik Clementina and former Dodger bench regular Scott Van Slyke. Per a Dodgers press release:

Cingrani, 28, has an 11-20 career record with 17 saves (all in 2016) and a 4.03 ERA in 164 games (30 starts) in six big league seasons with the Reds. Since his debut in 2012, he’s limited the opposition to a career batting average of .231, including a .219 average against left-handed hitters.

Prior to the All-Star break, Cingrani posted a 2.70 ERA (5 ER/16.2 IP) with a .213 opponents’ batting average and a 1.02 WHIP in 18 games, before allowing nine runs in 6.2 innings in seven games after the Midsummer Classic. Overall, the Evergreen Park, Illinois, native owns a 5.40 ERA (14 ER/23.1 IP) and has struck out 24 against six walks (4.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio) in 23.1 innings this season.

Cingrani, who was drafted by the Reds organization in the third round of the 2011 First Year Player Draft, spent just two seasons in the minor league before making his Major League debut at Great American Ballpark on Sept. 9, 2012 against the Houston Astros, where he allowed just one run on one hit in 3.0 innings, struck out five without issuing a walk on 50 pitches.

You can follow Cingrani here: @Grani_13. Although, he isn't particularly active there. BTW, Cingrani is not eligible for free agency until 2020. Per Jeff Todd at MLB Trade Rumors:

The 28-year-old Cingrani has posted a mediocre 5.40 ERA on the year, but he’s carrying 9.3 K/9 with 2.3 BB/9 to go with it. The real issue thus far has been a monumental home run problem: Cingrani is allowing 3.47 per nine, with 29% of the fly balls he permits leaving the yard. 

Oddly, Cingrani has struggled badly against same-handed hitters, allowing six long balls from just 43 lefties he has squared off against. That figures to balance back out somewhat, though, as he has limited lefty hitters to a .218/.305/.407 slash over his career (including this year’s ugly results). 

Assuming those issues can be brought under control, Cingrani will add a power arm to the L.A. pen. He carries a 12.4% swinging-strike rate and is averaging a healthy 94.6 mph with his fastball. 

Cingrani represents an affordable option with some future value, too. He is earning just $1.825MM this year and can be offered arbitration over the next two seasons.

In celebration of Tony's addition to the club I made the above fantasy card of him. I used the 1984 Topps Baseball card design with a photo of Cingrani grabbed from Alchetron.

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