The Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds agreed to a four-player trade on Wednesday, the teams announced. The Rockies will receive right-handed pitcher Robert Stephenson and outfielder Jameson Hannah in exchange for a pair of right-handed pitchers, in Jeff Hoffman and Case Williams.
Stephenson, 28 come February, is the most seasoned of the four individuals involved. He's appeared in more than 100 big-league games to date, accumulating a 5.15 ERA while walking nearly five batters per nine. Stephenson, who appeared on a handful of top-100 prospect lists before debuting in 2016, has turned into a two-offering pitcher: a slider that coerced whiffs on nearly half the swings taken against it last season, and a rising mid-90s fastball. He's out of options but should make the Rockies' Opening Day bullpen.
Hannah, meanwhile, will join his third organization since being drafted in the second round in 2018. He had previously been part of the trade that sent Tanner Roark to Oakland in 2019. Hannah has some bat-to-ball skills, but he lacks the power projection necessary to forecast him as a starting corner outfielder. He also lacks the arm strength to play right field.
On the other side of the ledger, the Reds could give Hoffman another opportunity to make it as a big-league starter. He'll turn 28 in January, and he'll enter the new season with a career 6.40 ERA in 68 appearances. Hoffman threw three pitches more than 10 percent of the time in 2020: a mid-90s rising fastball, a mid-80s changeup, and a curveball. Both of his secondary pitches posted whiff rates exceeding 30 percent. Hoffman is also out of options and will have to be on the Reds' Opening Day roster or otherwise will be exposed to the waiver wire.
Williams was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. He's yet to make his professional debut.
