The Cincinnati Reds have brought back Connor Joe—sort of. On Friday night, the team traded for the versatile player, marking the second time he’s joined the organization.
Originally, the Reds selected Joe from the Dodgers in the Rule 5 Draft in December 2018 but dealt him to the Giants near the end of spring training. This time, they acquired him via trade from the San Diego Padres, sending right-handed relief prospect in return.
Joe had signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Padres in February. He’s appeared in parts of six major league seasons since 2019, having skipped the 2020 season. Over his career, he’s put up a .241/.335/.389 slash line with a 96 OPS+, with his best showing coming in 2021 with the Rockies when he hit .285/.379/.469 in 63 games.
In 2024, Joe has only played seven games for the Padres, going hitless in nine at-bats with one walk and six strikeouts. In Triple-A El Paso, he batted .267/.405/.250 across 16 games, collecting 13 walks and striking out 10 times.
Defensively, Joe has seen action this season at first base and all three outfield spots, though center field is likely a last-resort option. He has primarily played the corner outfield positions and first base over recent seasons. It’s unclear yet whether Cincinnati will assign him to the major league roster or Triple-A.
To make room for Joe on the 40-man roster, the Reds moved infielder Tyler Callihan to the 60-day injured list after he underwent surgery for a fractured arm earlier this week.
As for Andrew Moore, he was one of the prospects acquired in the 2022 trade that sent Luis Castillo to the Mariners.
The 25-year-old reached Double-A last season, posting a 4.47 ERA with 69 strikeouts and 37 walks over 46.1 innings. He had been pitching for Double-A Chattanooga this year, recording a 4.15 ERA with eight walks and 12 strikeouts over 8.2 innings.
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