In a trade that raised eyebrows, the Cincinnati Reds sent veteran pitcher Sonny Gray and prospect Francis Peguero to the Minnesota Twins on March 13, 2022, in exchange for highly regarded pitching prospect Chase Petty. Although Gray had a solid 2021 campaign with a 4.19 ERA for Cincinnati, he remained a reliable veteran with a proven track record. After the trade, Gray went on to deliver two stellar seasons for the Twins, posting a 3.08 and 2.79 ERA, both of which were team bests, while consistently logging innings.
Now, the Reds are set to see what they have in Petty, who will make his major league debut in the second game of today’s doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals. Petty, who impressed scouts by hitting 100 miles per hour as a 17-year-old during the 2020 offseason, was ranked as the 37th-best prospect in the 2021 class by CBS Sports. His hard-throwing, high-energy pitching style polarized opinions on his future potential.
Since the trade, Petty has consistently been a top-10 prospect in the Reds organization, peaking at No. 5 before the 2024 season. He faced some setbacks due to a minor elbow issue in 2023, but the Reds managed his workload to avoid further injury. Petty spent the majority of 2024 in Double-A, posting a 4.39 ERA over 26 starts. However, he’s bounced back with a solid 3.00 ERA in seven Triple-A starts to close out 2024 and into the first month of this season.
Though this is expected to be a temporary spot start for Petty, it’s an exciting opportunity for the 22-year-old to show the Reds what he’s capable of at the major league level.
