Despite trade to Reds, Kevin Newman 'wouldn't change a thing' about his time with Pirates

Kevin Newman had heard his name tossed around as a trade candidate this month, but once he was tendered a guaranteed contract Friday, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ longest-tenured player figured he was staying put.

Newman was attending a wedding, so he gave his phone to his wife and focused on enjoying the reception. When her purse started to buzz, Newman decided to check his messages.

“I thought that it was it for the night, so I put my phone down,” Newman told the Tribune-Review by phone Saturday afternoon. “Twenty minutes later, I find out I’m traded.”

The Pirates dealt Newman to the Cincinnati Reds for right-handed reliever Dauri Moreta, parting ways with their 2015 first-round pick after five seasons as their starter at shortstop and, later, second base.

For Newman, it was odd to see images of himself in a Reds uniform soon after the trade was announced. There is familiarity in going to a National League Central Division rival as the Pirates play the Reds in the season opener March 30 at Great American Ball Park.

“It’s definitely a strange sight. You’re not used to anything other than a Pirates uniform. I do like the color red, so it’s cool,” said Newman, who played at the University of Arizona. “It does seem a little weird. I truly wonder what it’s going to be like because we’ve got Opening Day against the Pirates.”

Newman said it “wasn’t a total surprise” he was traded, given the emergence at shortstop last season of Oneil Cruz. The 6-foot-7, 220-pounder hit 17 homers and had 54 RBIs in 87 games and finished sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

“When he got to Pittsburgh and he was playing, obviously he’s ultra-talented, he’s so athletic, he can play every position — other than catcher — that you know that he’s talented enough to do it,” Newman said. “As the year progressed and he was playing more and more and more, that’s when you start to feel like the writing is on the wall.”

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington indicated to Newman in his exit interview that they viewed him as a middle infielder, so Newman didn’t rule out the possibility of a return. After earning $1.95 million last season, Newman was projected to make $2.8 million in his second year of arbitration. There is an opportunity to start at shortstop for the Reds, who traded Kyle Farmer to the Minnesota Twins after he started 97 games last season but was projected to earn $5.9 million in arbitration.

“We have some depth at that position,” Cherington said Saturday in a video conference call with reporters. “As we looked at our needs this offseason and how to strengthen the team for 2023 and beyond, we felt it was possible that we were at a time when considering a trade with Kevin might make sense and potentially for him as well. Kevin’s obviously been a shortstop his whole life. That opportunity was changing a bit now in Pittsburgh. Look at the Pirates’ needs and how we can get better and also kind of looking out for Kevin a little bit.”

Newman, 29, slashed .260/.303/.357 in 431 games over five seasons with the Pirates. His rookie year was his best season, when he batted .308 with 20 doubles, six triples, 12 home runs and 64 RBIs. Newman struggled at the plate the next two seasons.

What the Pirates liked is how Newman made improvements following subpar seasons. After a .930 fielding percentage and committing eight errors in 44 games in 2020, he lost the starting job at shortstop to Erik Gonzalez and was told to improve his first step on defense. Newman not only won the starting role the following season but became a Gold Glove finalist. After batting .224 in 44 games in 2020 and .226 in 148 games in ’21, Newman reconstructed his swing and hit .274.

The Pirates, however, focused on their young players as they lost 101 games in 2021 and 100 this past summer. Newman watched as they dealt away most of the players he came up with through the minors but refused to focus on whether he would be next.

“It’s obviously never fun to lose 100 games. That’s nobody’s goal,” Newman said. “We had a good group and a good core. We understood that we were a couple years away. It was a matter of going out there and doing the best we could and hoping to get to that corner and making the turn. I wish I was there for that. They have a lot of talent. Not far away.”

Newman emphasized he has no hard feelings about being traded, calling it a “dream come true” to play for the Pirates and spend his formative years in the majors at PNC Park.

“Shoot, they drafted me, developed me, got me to the big leagues,” Newman said. “It’s hard to explain, to put into words. Thankful comes to mind. I sound like a broken record, but I made lifelong friends and developed great relationships. I wouldn’t change a thing.”