The Cincinnati Reds added a reliable inning-eating arm on Wednesday by trading for Zack Littell. The Tampa Bay Rays will get two players in return, per Mark Feinsan of MLB.com, but those names have not been revealed.
Littell has an ERA of 3.72 this season. He's posted an 8-8 record in 21 starts. Despite leading MLB in home runs allowed, the righty just knows how to put together a quality start. He has 13 of those this season. That kind of consistency is where his value comes from.
In fact, Littell is a lot like Nick Martinez, the arm he is likely to replace in the Reds rotation. That's not to say Martinez is on his way out. Sure, the Reds could look to trade the 34-year-old who is making more money ($21 million) than he's worth. It would seem more likely they'll simply shift him into a long-relief bullpen role. The two could reverse their roles as well.
In one move, the Reds have improved their rotation and their bullpen. It's hard to complain about that.
Zack Littell looks like a win for the Reds, but that could change
Unfortunately, we can't exactly grade this one until we know the return. According to Bob Nightengale, three teams are now involved in the trade. We just don't know what the Reds are giving up.
That also means we can't judge the Rays on this either. The difference between a great trade and a highway robbery is the names coming back to Tampa.