Reds trade Duvall to Braves for three players

Two right-handed pitchers under age of 26 coming to Reds

The Cincinnati Reds traded outfielder Adam Duvall to the Atlanta Braves on Monday night in exchange for right-handed pitchers Lucas Sims and Matt Wisler and outfielder Preston Tucker.

The deal came one day before the non-waiver trade deadline at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Matt Harvey is another name to watch as the deadline nears, though Reds President of Baseball Operations Dick Williams said the team is trying to keep the team focused on winning this year.

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“The team has been playing very well,” Williams said Monday in a conference call with Cincinnati reporters after the trade. “We’re pleased with the performance we’ve seen in the middle of the summer. We have been trying to keep an eye on next year, but also this year is important. The winning vibe and winning culture that have been present recently is something we’ve been looking for a while. We’re pleased to have found it. We don’t want to do anything to disrupt it. At the same time, it’s very important to continue to have a focus on the future.”

The Reds acquired Duvall on July 30, 2015, in a trade that sent Mike Leake to the San Francisco Giants. Duvall, 29, played parts of four seasons in Cincinnati. He hit .235 with 84 home runs and was an all-star in 2016. This year, he was hitting .205 with 15 home runs and 61 RBIs.

Tucker, 28, will join the Reds on Tuesday in Detroit as they start a two-game series against the Tigers. He was a seventh-round pick by the Houston Astros in 2012. He hit .256 in 62 games with the Braves this season and also appeared in 15 games for Triple-A Gwinnett.

» LOOKING BACK: Duvall an all-star in first full season with Reds

Sims, 24, was the 21st overall pick in the first round in 2012. He was Atlanta’s 18th-ranked prospect in 2017, according to MLB.com, but did not make the top 30 this year.

Sims made his big-league debut in 2016 and was 3-6 with a 5.62 ERA in 14 appearances and 10 starts. He was 4-3 with a 2.84 ERA in 14 starts this season at Triple-A and had a 7.84 ERA in six appearances with the Braves.

Sims and Wisler, 25, will be assigned to a roster Wednesday when they are expected to report.

Wisler is from Bryan, Ohio. The San Diego Padres drafted him in the seventh round in 2011. He made his big-league debut with the Braves in 2015. This year, he was 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in seven games.

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