Farmer garners MVP, Good Guy Award at Redsfest

CINCINNATI -- Infielder Kyle Farmer is no longer a member of the Reds after being traded to the Twins two weeks ago, but he left the club with some parting gifts.

During Redsfest on Friday, Farmer was named the winner of two awards based on voting from the Cincinnati chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America: the Ernie Lombardi Award as Cincinnati's Most Valuable Player in 2022 and the Joe Nuxhall Good Guy Award.

"Any time you’re an MVP in anything, it’s a cool thing," Farmer said from his home in Georgia. "Being the older guy on that team and winning the MVP was pretty cool. There are a lot of really good baseball players on that team. I’m looking forward to watching them and seeing who wins this next year and who is the best player on that team. And the Good Guy Award, I think my mom would be most proud of that."

Farmer, who was traded to Minnesota on Nov. 18 for Minor League reliever Casey Legumina in a cost-saving move, batted .255/.315/.386 with 14 home runs, 25 doubles and 78 RBIs in a team-high 145 games in 2022.

Of the 66 players who appeared for Cincinnati, only Farmer and reliever Hunter Strickland were on the active roster from Opening Day to the end of the season.

“I take a lot of pride in that. That’s your goal. I think that’s any baseball player’s goal," Farmer said. "Stay throughout the whole year, be there for your team and put up numbers and stuff like that. I took a lot of pride in that at the end of the year. I think that was my biggest goal, and that’s one I achieved.”

Acquired from the Dodgers as part of a blockbuster trade in December 2018 that also brought in Alex Wood, Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp, Farmer played every infield position for the Reds as well as left field and catcher, and he became the regular shortstop in 2021. Especially in the past season, Farmer also emerged as a team leader and often was the one facing the media to explain losses during a 62-100 season.

"I think being a good teammate and a good person takes care of stuff on the field as well," Farmer said. "I think that good things happen to people who are positive, work hard, lead by example and lead by attitude in the clubhouse, and that leads to the field. It was a really crappy season last year. Any time you lose 100 games, it’s not good.

"But being able to win the Good Guy Award -- which means you’re being positive in the clubhouse, being around guys to keep a pep in their step, keep a pep in the locker room -- that carries over to the field and into the numbers you’re putting up, and the way you’re playing on the field. Negativity brings everyone down. It brings a clubhouse down. It brings great players down."

In other Reds awards, reliever Alexis Díaz received the Johnny Vander Meer Most Outstanding Pitcher Award. In his rookie season, Díaz was 7-3 with a 1.84 ERA and 10 saves in 59 appearances.

The Reds also revealed their own Minor League award winners within the organization. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz won the Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award as the Reds' Minor League Player of the Year.

De La Cruz, who is ranked No. 1 in the organization and No. 14 overall by MLB Pipeline, batted .304 with a .945 OPS, 28 homers and 47 stolen bases over 120 games for High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga in 2022.

Outfielder Alex McGarry was Reds Minor League Hitter of the Year after he hit 27 homers with 78 RBIs with an .859 OPS at three levels last season. Left-hander Andrew Abbott, the club's No. 10 prospect, was named Pitcher of the Year in the system after posting a 3.81 ERA and 1.25 WHIP for High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga.