Brandon Finnegan came to the Cincinnati Reds in July of 2015 when the Reds traded Johnny Cueto to the Kansas City Royals. The trade was controversial and heavily questioned at the time given Cueto’s talent as one of the best pitchers in Reds history.
However, with National League Central rivals like the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers, who have several strong lefty batters in their lineups, bringing three young left-handed pitchers to the Reds seemed like a good idea. Finnegan was supposed to be the main piece of the trade as a top prospect and former first-round draft pick.