Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations Dick Williams today announced the acquisitions of LHP Alex Wood, OF Matt Kemp, OF Yasiel Puig, IF/C Kyle Farmer and cash from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for RHP Homer Bailey and minor leaguers IF Jeter Downs and RHP Josiah Gray.
Wood, 27, originally was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the June 2012 first-year player draft. On July 30, 2015 he was sent to the Dodgers, along with IF José Peraza, LHP Luis Avilan, RHP Jim Johnson, RHP Bronson Arroyo and cash, as part of 3-team deal in which Los Angeles sent 3B Hector Olivera, LHP Paco Rodriguez and RHP Zack Bird to Atlanta plus RHP Jeff Brigham, RHP Victor Araujo and RHP Kevin Guzman to Florida, while the Marlins sent RHP Mat Latos, 1B Mike Morse and cash to Los Angeles plus a 2016 supplemental first-round pick to Atlanta.
In 2017 for Los Angeles, Wood was a National League All-Star and was ninth in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s National League Cy Young Award voting after finishing 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 25 starts and 2 relief appearances. Last season, he went 9-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 27 starts and 6 relief appearances. In 172 Major League appearances, including 129 starts, Wood is 52-40 with a career 3.29 ERA.
Kemp, 34, is a 3-time National League All-Star, including last season, a 2-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award-winning outfielder and a 2-time Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winner. In the BBWAA’s annual Most Valuable Player Award voting, he finished 10th following the 2009 season and second in 2011, when he led the NL in runs scored (115), HR (39), RBI (126), total bases (353) and WAR (8.0).
Last season, in 146 appearances for the National League champion Dodgers Kemp hit .290 with 25 doubles, 21 HR and 85 RBI.
Puig, 28, in June 2012 was signed by Los Angles as a free agent. In his 2013 rookie season he finished second in the BBWAA’s National League Rookie of the Year Award voting and 15th in the MVP Award balloting. The next season he was an NL All-Star while finishing 19th in the MVP voting, and in 2017 he was named to Wilson’s All-Defensive Team.