CINCINNATI - Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall today announced the acquisition of minor league RHP Mike Villani from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for RHP Alexis Díaz.
Villani, 22, made his professional debut with the Rookie-ACL Dodgers earlier this week, logging 2 perfect relief appearances. He was originally selected by the Dodgers in the 13th round of the 2024 first-year player draft from Long Beach State University (CA), the same school that produced current Reds farmhands Connor Burns and Graham Osman (both at A-Dayton).
As a senior at Long Beach State University in 2024, Villani tied for the Big West League lead with 10 saves, tied for 12th-most among all NCAA Division I pitchers. He was the first LBSU player selected by the Dodgers since 2016.
