Reds Send 10th Ranked Prospect to Rays in Trade for Starting Pitcher

The Cincinnati Reds made their second trade of the day on Wednesday night, trading for Rays starting pitcher Zach Littell.

The Reds are sending Triple-A starting pitcher Brian Van Belle and High-A left-handed starting pitcher Adam Serwinowski to the Rays in return, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of The Enquirer. Serwinowski is the Reds' 10th-ranked prospect.

You can never have too much pitching and this is a move that will keep Cincinnati's arms fresh down the stretch. Will Chase Burns or Nick Martinez move to the bullpen? Will the Reds go with a six-man rotation? The options are endless with this move and with Hunter Greene set to return soon.

Serwinowski was the Reds' 15th-round draft pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. After a strong season in Low-A Daytona in 2024, the left-hander has struggled in High-A Dayton this season. He has an ERA of 5.45 with 92 strikeouts and 29 walks in 74 1/3 innings pitched.

However, he is still just 21 years old and has a lot of upside.

This is the type of move you make if you're trying to make a run. The Reds didn't give up a ton and got a guy who can keep their bullpen and rotation more fresh for the stretch run.

You can watch Littell's reaction to the trade here.

Full player exchange in 2-for-1 trade: Reds Triple-A right-hander Brian Van Belle (on Reds' 40-man roster) and Class A left-hander Adam Serwinowski to Rays for Zack Littell. https://t.co/6KAYk8aJrG
— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubMLB) July 31, 2025