Reds return: A look at the three lefties Cincy received for Johnny Cueto

The Kansas City Royals bolstered their rotation Sunday in hopes of making a second straight run to the World Series. In exchange for Reds ace Johnny Cueto, they sent a package of three left-handed pitchers to Cincinnati. Here’s a closer look at what the Reds gained and the Royals gave up:

Brandon Finnegan, 22, LHP
 
Finnegan is the most heralded of the three players. His rise to the big leagues has been rapid - he made his debut on Sept. 6, 2014 and later pitched in the World Series for the Royals last season just four months after being drafted.
 
This season, he has made seven starts in the minors but has seen the most time with the big-league club, posting a 2.96 earned-run average in 14 appearances. He has been promoted or demoted seven times this season, most recently moving down to Class AAA Omaha last weekend after nine straight appearances for the Royals.

Though he’s never made a start at the big-league level, he has pitched in long relief, lasting two or more innings six times and throwing as many as 51 pitches in one outing. With this in mind, the Reds could decide to use him in the rotation as early as later this season. He throws mostly fastballs, though his velocity is higher out of the bullpen, and he features a plus slider.

John Lamb, 25, LHP

Lamb has spent each of the past two seasons in Omaha, making a big improvement this year to start 9-1 with a 2.67 ERA through 17 starts. He is in his seventh year in the minors, though he missed 15 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2011. Before the 2011 season, Baseball America ranked him as the No. 18 overall prospect.

But after he left his start on May 19 of that year, he didn’t pitch again until Aug. 14, 2012. He has slowly regained his form since then, making six starts in 2012, 22 in 2013 and 26 last season. He struggled with velocity during his recovery, but his fastball now sits between 90 and 93 mph and can touch 96.

Cody Reed, 22, LHP

The Royals took Reed, a 6-foot-5 lefty, in the second round of the 2013 draft. In 19 starts at Class A last year, he finished with a 5.46 ERA, but he has improved this season. His ERA is now 2.53 in 18 appearances between Class high-A and AA. He vaulted to No. 9 in Baseball America's midseason Royals prospect rankings released earlier this month.

When he entered the Royals’ system, he had a good fastball but struggled to control it. In 15 rookie-league games in 2013, Reed walked seven batters per nine innings. That number has gone down to 3.9 last season and 2.4 so far this year, and he’s been able to keep his strikeout numbers high at 7.9 per nine innings in 2015.

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