Four Former Dragons Added to Reds 40-Man Roster

Dayton, Ohio—Four former Dayton Dragons players were added to the 40-man roster of the Cincinnati Reds for the first time on Tuesday evening, as announced by the Reds.

Former Dragons added to the Reds 40-man roster (listed with their season/s with the Dragons):

Elly De La Cruz, shortstop (2022)

Noelvi Marte, shortstop/third baseman (2022)

Lyon Richardson, starting pitcher (2019, 2021)

Ricky Karcher, relief pitcher (2021)

The Reds also added starting pitchers Brandon Williamson and Levi Stoudt to their 40-man roster. Both were acquired in 2022 trades and pitched at the Triple-A level at the completion of the season. Players added to the 40-man roster will participate in big league spring training in 2023.

Players had to be added to their major league club’s 40-man roster prior to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday to be protected from being selected by another team in next month’s Rule 5 draft if they were eligible for the draft. Players become eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft at the end of their fourth professional season (players who were under age 19 when originally signed become eligible after their fifth seasons). For next month’s Rule 5 draft, players originally signed in 2019 or earlier are eligible (or 2018 if the player was under age 19 when signed) if they are not on a 40-man roster.

De La Cruz, who spent most of the 2022 season with the Dragons, has gained national attention after an historic year. He became the first Dragons player to earn the Midwest League’s “Best MLB Prospect” honor since the club’s inaugural season of 2000, when Dayton outfielder Austin Kearns shared the honor with Peoria’s Albert Pujols. De La Cruz was also selected as Cincinnati Reds 2022 Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America.

With the Dragons in 2022, De La Cruz played in 72 games and batted .302 with 20 home runs. He became the first player in Dragons history and first Midwest League player since 1999 (Corey Patterson, Lansing) to hit at least .300 with at least 20 home runs and at least 25 stolen bases. Combining his Dayton statistics with those recorded at Double-A Chattanooga after he was promoted from the Dragons, De La Cruz became the first player anywhere in Minor League Baseball to hit at least 25 home runs, steal at least 40 bases, and hit at least .300 in a season since George Springer in 2013.

Marte joined the Dragons immediately after being acquired by the Reds in a blockbuster trade that sent MLB all-star pitcher Luis Castillo to the Seattle Mariners. Marte batted .292 in 30 games with the Dragons. Overall in 2022, all at the High-A level, he hit .279 with 19 home runs and 23 stolen bases. He also played in the 2022 Arizona Fall League and participated in the league’s all-star game.

Richardson, the Reds second round draft pick in 2018, missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing elbow surgery. He made 44 starts for the Dragons between 2019 and 2021, posting a combined 4.53 ERA and was one of the youngest pitchers in the league both years.

Karcher, one of the hardest throwers in the Reds system, appeared in 18 games out of the Dayton bullpen in 2021, posting four saves with 29 strikeouts in 19 innings while surrendering just 10 hits. He split the 2022 season between Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville, finishing with a 3.65 ERA and 10 saves in 52 games while striking out 88 in 56 innings.

To date, 131 former Dragons players have played in the Major Leagues, including 14 rookies in 2022. There were 46 former Dragons in the Major Leagues in 2022 including 23 with the Reds.

Dayton Dragons 2023 season tickets packages are available now, and all packages include an Elly De La Cruz bobblehead. Package plans are available for full-season (66 games), half-season (33 games), 16 games, or eight games. Dragons 2023 season ticket packages include many new benefits including membership in the Dragons Business Club or Family Club, and gift card. Packages also include a return of benefits enjoyed by 2022 season tickets holders, all with no price increase from last season. For more information, call (937) 228-2287 or go to daytondragons.com/tickets.

More Information:_ The Dayton Dragons are the affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and play a 66-game home schedule at beautiful Day Air Ballpark_ in the heart of the Water Street District. Deposits on 2023 season tickets are being accepted now. For information about season tickets including the new Business Club and Family Club, contact the Dragons by calling at (937) 228-2287, emailing at [email protected], or go to daytondragons.com. Information is also available regarding group tickets, lawn tickets, sponsorship opportunities or booking a Dragons speaker.

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