The Miami Marlins acquired right-handed starting pitcher Mat Latos from the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday for right-hander Anthony DeSclafani and minor-league catcher Chad Wallach.
Latos, who turned 27 this week, went 5-5 with a 3.34 ERA in 16 starts during an injury-plagued 2014. He will be a free agent at the end of the 2015 season but offers the Marlins an experienced arm in a young rotation.
The righty underwent left knee surgery four days before spring training after sustaining a fluke injury throwing. At the end of 2013, he was shut down to remove bone chips in his right elbow.
A Florida local from Coconut Creek High and Broward Community College, Latos is 60-45 with a 3.34 ERA in parts of six big-league seasons since 2009. From 2012-13, he tossed at least 209 1/3 innings and made 32 starts. He finished eighth in National League Cy Young voting in 2010.
"We wanted to support those young power arms -- the Henderson Alvarezes, the Nathan Eovaldis, the Jarred Cosarts," president of baseball operations Michael Hill told MLB Network. "And also by doing that it gave us in our minds the ability to allow the ace of our staff Jose Fernandez to do his rehab and come back healthy whenever that time is."
DeSclafani represented the Marlins in this year's Arizona Fall League, going 1-0 with a 2.67 ERA in six starts. He turns 25 in April.
Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2012 blockbuster trade, DeSclafani went 2-2 with a 6.27 ERA in 12 games (five starts) as a rookie. DeSclafani made his big-league debut on May 14 at Dodger Stadium, allowing two runs over six innings for the win. He bounced back and forth between the majors and Triple-A New Orleans.
Wallach, a catcher taken in the fifth round of the 2013 draft, hit .322 with 22 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 57 RBI between Class-A Jupiter and Class-A Greensboro in his first full minor-league season. He is the son of former major leaguer Tim Wallach.
On Thursday, the Reds also traded another starting pitcher, dealing right-hander Alfredo Simon to the Detroit Tigers for infielder Eugenio Suarez and minor-league right-hander Jonathon Crawford.
"I think they're serious," Latos said about the Marlins. "You look at what they’ve done with what they have. You get the right mixture of young talent and those veteran guys for leadership, you've got a chance to go a long way. And that’s what it looks like."
You can follow Christina De Nicola on Twitter @CDeNicola13 or email her at cdenicola13@gmail.com.
