On December 12, Cincinnati purchased infielder Tommy Thevenow from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Thevenow hit .238 with 47 RBI in 122 games during the 1935 season, playing mostly at third base. His best season was in 1926, when Thevenow finished fourth in National League MVP voting when he batted .256 with two home runs and 63 RBI in 156 games for the St. Louis Cardinals. He helped the Cardinals win the 1926 World Series over the New York Yankees with a .417 batting average with a home run and four RBI in seven games. The Reds also purchased minor league pitcher Johnny Vander Meer from the Boston Braves. Vander Meer had a 7-10 record with a 5.35 ERA in 24 games with the Scranton Miners of the New York-Penn League.