Reds acquire Justin Wilson, Luis Cessa from Yankees

The Reds swung a late-night deal to acquire two relievers from the Yankees on Tuesday, obtaining right-hander Luis Cessa and lefty Justin Wilson in exchange for a player to be named later.

While Wilson is the bigger name in this deal, Cessa seems to be the more attractive commodity for the Reds right now. The 29-year-old righty has a 2.82 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP this year. The former starter has consistently shown an ability to go multiple innings in relief, as he’s thrown 38.1 innings in 29 appearances, striking out 31 and walking 17.

The 33-year-old Wilson, one of the top lefty relievers in the sport for most of the last decade, has struggled this season, posting a 7.50 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP, 15 strikeouts, and nine walks in 18 innings. He’s dealt with a pair of injuries — shoulder tightness and a hamstring strain — that have likely played into his inconsistency. It should be interesting to see whether the Reds believe they can fix him or if they merely absorbed the rest of his $2.85 million salary for this year and $2.3 million player option (or $1.15 million buyout) for 2021 in order to reduce the price for Cessa.

Neither pitcher appears to be a transformative pickup, but they’re nevertheless interesting gambles for a Reds bullpen that ranks last in the majors in ERA (5.35) and is tied for 26th in WHIP (1.45).