Reds Add Zack Littell in Three-Team Deal with Rays and Dodgers

The Cincinnati Reds made a move to strengthen their starting rotation by acquiring pitcher Zack Littell from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade that also included the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Details of the Trade

The Reds sent right-hander Brian Van Belle to the Rays and pitching prospect Adam Serwinowski to the Dodgers. In return, the Dodgers traded catcher Hunter Feduccia to Tampa Bay. The Rays also shipped reliever Paul Gervase and minor league catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Dodgers. As of Wednesday night, only the parts involving Littell, Van Belle, and Serwinowski have been officially completed.

Littell Gives Reds a Reliable Arm

Zack Littell pitched five scoreless innings against the Yankees in his final outing for the Rays, lowering his ERA to 3.58 over 22 starts this season. He posted a similar 3.63 ERA in 2023 and has led the Rays in innings for two straight years. Tampa Bay claimed him off waivers from the Red Sox two years ago and converted him from a reliever into a dependable mid-rotation starter.

Although he doesn’t overpower hitters, Littell stands out for his control. He has walked fewer than 5% of batters faced over the last two seasons. He did walk four Yankees on Wednesday, but it was only the second time in two years he’s issued that many free passes in a game.

Pitching Style May Not Fit Ballpark

Littell works with a low-90s fastball and mixes in a slider and splitter. He doesn’t generate many strikeouts, with a below-average 16.6% strikeout rate this year. He also gives up hard contact and leads MLB with 26 home runs allowed this season — a concerning stat given his new home park in Cincinnati is known to favor hitters.

Still, Littell brings stability. He’s pitched at least five innings in 21 of 22 starts and allowed three or fewer runs in 18 of them. That’s better production than what the Reds have received from pitchers like Nick Martinez, Brady Singer, or rookie Chase Burns.

Reds Reshuffle the Rotation

With Littell in the fold, Martinez is expected to move to the bullpen. Hunter Greene is close to returning from a groin injury and is currently on a rehab assignment. That likely means Burns will return to Triple-A. The Reds’ starting rotation will soon include Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Littell, and Singer.

Littell is earning $5.72 million in his final year of arbitration, and the Reds will pay around $1.8 million of that over the last two months. He’ll become a free agent after the season. The Rays, now below .500 and 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, are acting as soft sellers at the deadline.

Tampa Bay Begins Rebuilding

Trading Littell — their only upcoming free agent — was a logical first step. Tampa Bay still has other valuable players under contract, including Pete Fairbanks and Brandon Lowe (both under team control in 2025), Yandy Díaz and Drew Rasmussen (signed through 2026), and Ha-Seong Kim, who holds a $16 million player option. Garrett Cleavinger is arbitration-eligible through 2027. It’s unclear how aggressive the Rays will be in moving those pieces, but they have the ability to make more deals before the deadline.

Prospect Spotlight: Adam Serwinowski

To land Littell, the Reds parted with 6’5” left-hander Adam Serwinowski — a rising name in their system. Drafted in 2022, Serwinowski has developed into a promising arm. MLB Pipeline ranked him No. 10 in the Reds’ system, and Baseball America had him at No. 12. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen placed him as high as No. 6 back in May.

Scouts love his mid-90s fastball and sharp slider, but his command is still a work in progress. He also lacks a reliable third pitch, raising questions about whether he can stick as a starter long-term. He’s posted a 4.84 ERA at High-A with a strong 27.7% strikeout rate but a high walk rate of nearly 12%.

Rays Get Depth in Van Belle

The Rays also picked up 28-year-old Brian Van Belle, who has yet to appear in an MLB game. After a brief stint with the Red Sox earlier this year, he landed with Cincinnati, where he posted a 3.21 ERA across 81 1/3 innings in Triple-A. He doesn’t throw hard — his fastball touches just 90 MPH — but he’s an elite strike-thrower and relies on a strong changeup. He’ll likely fill a depth starter or long reliever role for Tampa Bay.

Dodgers Add Two Catchers and a Tall Arm

The Dodgers’ part of the deal brought them reliever Paul Gervase and catcher Ben Rortvedt from Tampa Bay.

Gervase, a 6’10” righty, came over from the Mets last year and recently made his MLB debut with the Rays. He’s impressed in Triple-A with a 3.12 ERA and a massive 40% strikeout rate, along with improved control (7.5% walk rate). He works mostly with a 93–94 MPH fastball and mixes in a slider and cutter. He’ll provide middle relief depth for Los Angeles.

Rortvedt, 27, adds depth at catcher. He has struggled at the plate in the majors, hitting just .186 over parts of four seasons. He batted .095 in limited MLB action this year and has a .183 average in Triple-A. Unless the Dodgers call him up, he’ll be a minor league free agent after this season.

Feduccia Could Compete for Rays’ Backup Catcher Role

Tampa Bay’s return from L.A. includes Hunter Feduccia, a 28-year-old left-handed hitting catcher. Blocked by Will Smith and Dalton Rushing in L.A., he has spent most of the past two years in Triple-A, hitting .277 with a .387 on-base percentage and .450 slugging.

While he doesn’t have much power, Feduccia has strong plate discipline and decent contact skills. FanGraphs ranked him 31st in the Dodgers’ system. He’s known as a good receiver but struggles to control the running game. He could challenge Matt Thaiss for the backup catching job in Tampa. If not, he still has one minor league option year remaining and can be sent to Triple-A Durham.