REDS

RedsXtra: Improving the bullpen must be a priority for Cincinnati Reds this offseason

Cincinnati Enquirer

The offseason begins in about a week and the Cincinnati Reds haven’t given a public indication whether payroll will increase, decrease or stay the same heading into the 2022 season.

No matter the budget situation, the bullpen is an area the Reds need to address this winter. It was the club’s weakness for most of the season (4.99 ERA, fourth-highest in MLB) and blown saves add up when a team falls short in a playoff race. The Reds lost seven games when leading after seven innings and four games when leading after the eighth inning.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Lucas Sims (39) checks on the runner at first in the sixth inning of the MLB baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

Michael Lorenzen and Mychal Givens will become free agents after the conclusion of the World Series, and Tejay Antone will miss the entire 2022 season after he underwent his second Tommy John surgery. Lorenzen and Givens often shared duties in the eighth and ninth innings throughout the final two months of the season.

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That leaves a lot of questions for the Reds’ bullpen entering the offseason. The Reds operated without a designated closer after trading Raisel Iglesias last December. Ten relievers recorded a save, a franchise record, but only Lucas Sims, Amir Garrett and Antone remain under team control.

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Art Warren (77) follows through on a pitch in the eighth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Friday, June 25, 2021. The Braves took a 3-2 win over the Reds.

Some young pitchers emerged with more trust in important situations like Art Warren and Tony Santillan. Luis Cessa was phenomenal after the New York Yankees traded him to the Reds.

“It’s been a season of opportunity for our bullpen because there were points it wasn’t really clear,” manager David Bell said. “Guys continuously stepped up at different points of the year and given where we were where it was a major concern, I think it turned into a strength with the way guys stepped up.”

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Entering the offseason, the core of the Reds bullpen features Sims, Warren, Santillan and Cessa. Amir Garrett, who is eligible for arbitration, and Justin Wilson, who holds a $2.3 million player option, are left-handed options after struggling this year. Wilson is the only reliever from that group with more than 10 career saves, showing the need to add another closer candidate this winter.

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Justin Wilson (34) delivers in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The St. Louis Cardinals won, 3-1.

The Reds haven’t chased high-end free-agent relievers in past offseasons, signing Sean Doolittle last year, Pedro Strop before the 2020 season and Zach Duke prior to the 2019 season. Even if the Reds increase their payroll, it seems unlikely they’d try to sign top relievers after choosing it as an area to cut last winter (Iglesias trade, not tendering a contract to Archie Bradley).

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“The turnover that’s happened this season has created an opportunity for guys like Art Warren and (Dauri) Moreta,” Bell said. “The guys that we’ve traded for have stepped in and really been outstanding for us and shown what they can do. There are guys that I definitely think will look back at this year and it’ll be a key point where they made the most of an opportunity and they created a spot for themselves for next year and beyond.”

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Luis Cessa (85) celebrates after pitching a scoreless seventh inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. The Cardinals took the first game of the seven-inning doubleheader games, 5-4.

A look at how the bullpen shapes up with their 40-man roster heading into the winter:

• Core group of relievers: Sims, Warren, Santillan and Cessa.

Sims spent time on the injured list with a sprained right elbow, which is always concerning for pitchers, but he was one of the league’s best strikeout artists when he returned with 32 strikeouts and only three walks in 18 1/3 innings. Warren had a 1.29 ERA across 21 innings while featuring a dominant slider.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Tony Santillan (64) delivers in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

• Lefty bounceback options: Garrett and Wilson.

Wilson didn’t have many high-leverage opportunities with the Reds, but he had a 2.81 ERA in 16 innings while allowing three of his nine inherited runners to score.

• Out of minor-league options depth: Jeff Hoffman and Cionel Pérez.

Both pitchers will be out of minor-league options next year, so they’ll be subject to waivers if they’re not on the Opening Day roster. Hoffman had a 3.54 ERA across 28 innings out of the bullpen with 15 walks and 40 strikeouts.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23) pitches in the seventh inning of the MLB baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

• Younger options: Moreta, Ryan Hendrix, Riley O’Brien and Reiver Sanmartin.

Moreta should receive more opportunities after a dominant minor-league season. O’Brien and Sanmartin were starting pitchers this year, but they could be options for the bullpen with Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft nearing the Majors.

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Dauri Moreta (55) shakes hands with catcher Tucker Barnhart (16) after the final out of the top of the ninth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. The Reds took a 13-1 win in the final home home of the 2021 season.

• Returning from injuries: Jared Solomon and Brandon Bailey.

They both underwent Tommy John surgery, but the Reds thought so highly of Solomon they added him to their 40-man roster last winter knowing he’d miss the 2021 season.