MLB Trade Rumors 2019: Top 25 assets

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 20: San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) throws a pitch during a MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 20, 2019 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JUNE 20: Tanner Roark #35 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on June 20, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

19. Tanner Roark

Unlike most of the rebuilding teams in the league who choose to bottom out and save as much money as possible, the Cincinnati Reds took a novel approach last winter — take on a handful of veteran contracts in an effort to acquire another batch of trade chips to keep the farm system loaded. While Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp look like mostly sunk costs, starters Tanner Roark and Sonny Gray have panned out nicely and could both fetch the Reds solid prospects.

The 32-year-old Roark was always one of the more underrated starters in the league during his time with the Washington Nationals. He was always overshadowed by Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, but Roark was 64-54 with a 3.59 ERA in six seasons with the Nats. The Reds traded for him as he was coming off two mediocre seasons heading into free agency.

Roark is pitching well for the Reds and is 5-6 with a 3.47 ERA through 15 starts. He is striking out a career high 9.1 per-nine. Roark has also pitched well at home for the Reds and has allowed only three homers in 44.1 innings at their hitter-friendly park.

A contender looking for a workhorse arm to steady their rotation could do much worse than Tanner Roark. He won’t make for huge headlines, but could easily make the difference between missing and making the playoffs for a team fighting for a Wild Card.

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