Gomes can help Nats; Alonso to get ABs

July, 26, 2011

7/26/11

8:55

PM ET

By Jim Bowden | ESPN.com

The Cincinnati Reds traded left fielder Jonny Gomes to the Washington Nationals for the minor league contracts of first baseman/outfielder Bill Rhinehart and right-handed pitcher Chris Manno. The Reds made the move to open up left field for top hitting prospect Yonder Alonso, who was promoted at the same time the deal was made. Alonso is a well below-average defender in left field, but so were Adam Dunn and Gomes. Alonso’s bat should be a positive addition to the Reds' lineup.

The Nationals plan to use Gomes in a platoon in left field and as a right-handed bat off the bench, according to Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo. The Nationals also will be eligible for a Type B compensation pick when Gomes becomes a free agent at season's end. The Nats feel that the compensation pick will have far more value in the draft than the players they’re giving up in this move.

The Reds get Manno, a 22-year-old soft-tossing left-hander with a decent curve who gets hitters out in low Class-A ball. They also get a 26-year-old first baseman/outfielder in Rhinehart, who has hit 21 home runs and driven in 59 runs with Double-A Harrisburg. Rhinehart and Manno are not considered major league prospects.

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Jim Bowden

Bowden, who served as the senior vice president and GM for the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals, is an analyst for ESPN.com. In 1992, Bowden became the youngest GM in MLB history when the Reds hired him at age 31. The Reds finished in first place twice during his 10 years as GM, and he was named MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 1999. After working for ESPN in 2004, Bowden became the first GM of the Washington Nationals when the franchise relocated from Montreal to Washington, D.C., in 2005, working in that role until the 2009 season. Bowden co-hosts the "Inside Pitch" radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio. Follow on Twitter: @JimBowdenESPNxm.