DALLAS – The Cincinnati Reds didn’t leave the winter meetings Wednesday looking any closer to making a trade or signing a free agent than they did when they got to town Sunday.

But just before they left the Hilton Anatole at the conclusion of the meetings, they did nab a speedy Triple-A player with a good glove and defensive versatility who might contribute to Terry Francona’s playoff-minded team in 2025 as a utility player.

Cooper Bowman, 24, who played at the University of Louisville before the Yankees drafted him in the fourth round in 2021, was acquired by the Reds from the Oakland Athletics’ system in the major-league phase of Wednesday’s Rule 5 draft.

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“He’s someone we’ve liked since he was an amateur,” said Rob Coughlin, the Reds’ director of pro scouting. “We’ve consistently had quality scouting reports on him from his amateur days all the way through the minor leagues.

“He’s got tremendous intangibles, baseball instincts. We think he can handle a lot of different positions.”

For a team that suffered from deep fielding deficiencies in 2024, Bowman helps address the offseason objective of making improvements in that area, albeit in a bench role.