Three things to know about new Cincinnati Reds relievers Luis Cessa, Justin Wilson

The Cincinnati Reds swung a trade for bullpen help ahead of Friday's 4 p.m. trade deadline, acquiring relievers Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson from the New York Yankees for a player to be named later. 

Cessa, a 29-year-old right-hander, has been having the best season of his career with a 2.82 ERA in 38 1/3 innings. He's capable of throwing multiple innings and the Yankees primarily used him when they were losing. 

The left-handed Wilson has struggled this year with a 7.50 ERA in 18 innings, the first time in his 10-year career he has an ERA above 4.20. He moved from a high-leverage role at the beginning of the season to lower-leverage situations when he returned from a stint on the injured list at the end of June. 

Here are three things to know about Luis Cessa:

Cessa started his pro career as a SS before moving to the mound

When Cessa signed with the New York Mets as an international free agent out of Mexico in 2008, he was a shortstop. He spent two seasons as a position player in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .178 in 57 games with three doubles, one homer and 12 RBI. 

He transitioned to the mound in 2011 and posted a 3.19 ERA in his first year as a pitcher. He was a starting pitcher until the end of the 2018 season. This is the second time Cessa has been traded at the trade deadline. The Mets traded him and Michael Fulmer to the Detroit Tigers in 2015 for Yoenis Cespedes when he was still in the minor leagues. He was rated as the No. 18 prospect for the Tigers by Baseball America after the trade. 

Cessa has been traded twice before, and once for Justin Wilson

He never pitched in the big leagues for Detroit, traded in Dec. 2015 for Wilson. He made the Yankees' Opening Day roster in 2016 and was a part of their starting rotation by the end of the season. 

Cessa wore Batman-inspired cleats for Players Weekend in 2019

With an opportunity for a customized look on Players Weekend, Cessa wore cleats featuring the colors of the Mexican flag and a Batman logo on the back. He had his nickname, "KIKÉ" on the back of his jersey, which is a play off his middle name, Enrique. 

Here are three things to know about Justin Wilson:

The Reds will be Justin Wilson's sixth organization in his career

Debuting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012, the 33-year-old left-hander has pitched for the Yankees (2015, 2021), the Tigers (2016-17), the Chicago Cubs (2017-18) and the Mets (2019-20). He has a career 3.44 ERA in 501 relief appearances. 

He's pitched in six postseason games, allowing three hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings. 

Wilson threw two no-hitters when pitching in the minor leagues in 2012

As a starting pitcher for Triple-A Indianapolis, Wilson made history twice during the 2012 season. He threw the first 7 1/3 innings of a combined no-hitter on April 29, 2012. Wilson, of course, wished he had the chance to complete the game, saying afterward, "it was tough, but you’ve got to trust your manager. He was making the call on what he thought, which was totally OK with me."

Then he had another chance at it. He pitched an eight-inning no-hitter on Aug. 9, walking one and striking out five in 86 pitches. The ninth inning was wiped away by rain. His teammates rewarded him with a pie thrown in his face. 

Wilson won a College World Series at Fresno State

A fifth-round pick in the 2008 MLB Draft, Wilson led Fresno State to a College World Series title in his junior season. It was the school's first trip to the College World Series since 1991. 

In the final championship game, Wilson allowed one run in eight innings. He struck out nine and walked one.