Cincinnati Reds trade infielder Brandon Drury to Padres for prospect Victor Acosta
A little more than four months after infielder Brandon Drury signed with the Cincinnati Reds on a minor league contract, he was traded to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday for 18-year-old shortstop prospect Victor Acosta, sources confirmed to The Enquirer.
Drury had a breakout 2022 season with a .274 batting average, .335 on-base percentage and .520 slugging percentage. He led the Reds' offense with 22 doubles, 20 homers, 59 RBI and 62 runs in 92 games.
“I was excited,” Drury said. “I'm going to a good team and I'm looking forward to going there and trying to win a ring.”
Tyler Mahle trade: Cincinnati Reds trade pitcher to Minnesota Twins for three prospects
Tommy Pham trade: Here's what Reds GM Nick Krall said about the trade that sent OF to the Red Sox
Drury was a prime trade candidate because he will be a free agent at the end of the season. Reds General Manager Nick Krall said Monday contract extension talks weren't on the table, which made it even more likely he would be traded.
Now he will join a Padres lineup that added Juan Soto in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Nationals earlier Tuesday.
"To be a part of that lineup is going to be special," Drury said. "I'm excited to help them win ballgames."
Acosta is ranked No. 11 in the Padres' farm system by Baseball America, signing for $1.8 million as an international free agent. Listed at 5-foot-11-inches, 170 pounds, the switch-hitter is batting .243 with two homers, three doubles and 11 RBI in 32 games in the rookie-level complex league. He has a .346 on-base percentage with 16 walks to 30 strikeouts, and he's stolen five bases in 12 attempts.
Baseball America wrote in its scouting report: "Acosta has a loud mix of tools and athleticism to dream on. Though he’s 5-foot-11, he has plenty of twitch and strength in his compact build."
He's viewed as a fast runner with a chance to be an above-average hitter with above-average power, and he has the arm to remain at shortstop.
Drury wasn't a regular starter from 2020-21. In 2022, he made a few key swing changes and reinvented himself as a hitter.
“It's been pretty special,” Drury said. “I had two minor-league offers coming into the season and then to have Cincinnati come in here and put my career back on track has been amazing. I can't thank Cincinnati enough. It's been a huge turning point in my career. I came here and played well and had the opportunity.”
Drury made the Reds’ Opening Day roster because Donovan Solano injured his hamstring during spring training. He delivered the game-deciding home run in the Reds’ season-opening win over the Atlanta Braves and never looked back.
He transformed into a player who hit in the second hole of the Reds' lineup and nearly made the All-Star team. Tuesday's trade represents one of Krall's biggest roster-building wins of the season, turning a minor league signing into a legitimate prospect.
“From Day One of spring training, there was a connection, personally for me, with Brandon,” Reds manager David Bell said. "Also immediately, he felt comfortable here. He loved being a part of our team. It helped. He did it all on his own but it helped him really have a great season to this point. The Padres are getting somebody who is really at the top of their game, very confident in his game right now and it’s going to help them win a lot."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds trade Brandon Drury for Padres prospect Victor Acosta
