Reynoso Deal Stabilizes Club

The cost was the Flash's 1st round pick of a year ago, 2B Bubba Fox. But the reward has been tangible already. A trade that brought RP Giomar Reynoso and minor league RP Mark Ming to the Flash has served as a springboard to the big club. Since the swap, Philadelphia has gone 9-5. But that includes an active 7-game win streak that can be contributed to Reynoso's addition to the roster.

When the Reynoso trade was accepted, the Flash offered Rule 5 draft pick 3B Gabby Trujillo back to his original franchise, the Seattle Steelheads. The Steelheads would refuse him, sending him to the Flash AAA team. This meant that the Flash would be reverting to a 13-man pitching staff, as they had used in the first 2 seasons. Twelve pitchers simply had not proved enough through the early portion of the schedule.

It has not been the quality of work that Reynoso has provided that has propelled the club back to their winning ways. Rather, what he brings is stability. More bullpen arms get more rest, more often. The big guns like RP Duke Munroe, RP Felipe Martin, and RP Rafael Perez are able to enter games more frequently. Reynoso's job is simply to work a few quality innings, which he has done well to this point. His own numbers are favorable, with a 1.13 ERA since coming to Philly, although he possesses a WHIP of 1.63 that will need to come down.

Their recent hot streak has drawn the Flash to within 4 games of torrid division leader, the Washington D.C. Senators. They are also 2 games behind the Buffalo Hot Wings, who are tearing the cover off the ball offensively. But quietly, slowly, the Flash are building momentum of their own and are ready to climb to the top of the NL East yet again if they have it in them.