Cincinnati Reds Sign RHP Ross Ohlendorf to Big-League Deal

With many relievers failing to step up this spring, the Cincinnati Reds got some outside help for the bullpen.

General manger Dick Williams has said that the Reds would evaluate outside options before settling on an Opening Day roster, and the club did just that on Saturday, signing veteran right-hander Ross Ohlendorf to a one-year contract.

He will wear the jersey No. 27, which was held by Brennan Boesch last season.

Earlier in the week, Ohlendorf was released by the Kansas City Royals after opting out of his contract when told he wouldn’t make the team. He has pitched nine innings this spring, giving up six runs on nine hits and three walks, while striking out 10.

The 33-year-old spent last season with the Texas Rangers and has also played for the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees.

He has pitched in 145 career big-league games, 65 as a reliever. He has a career 4.84 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 4.60 xFIP, but has been improved since settling into a relief role on a more permanent basis. Last season with the Rangers, he had a 3.72 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 4.09 xFIP in 19.1 innings. Ohlendorf also saw an uptick in his strikeout numbers a year ago, punching out a career-high 8.8 batters per nine innings.

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Ohlendorf throws four pitches: a four-seam and two-seam fastball, a slider and a changeup. In 2015, his fastball averaged 93.7 mph, well above his career average of 92.0 mph. His slider has traditionally been his best putaway offering, with 49.2 percent of his career strikeouts coming on the pitch and opponents swinging and missing at the pitch 16.9 percent of the time he throws it.

While Ohlendorf has experience as a starter, he should play a relief role with the Reds despite all of their injuries in the starting rotation. With only J.J. Hoover guaranteed a spot in the bullpen, most of the team’s reliever candidates have failed to impress this spring outside of Tony Cingrani, Pedro Villarreal, Keyvius Sampson and Drew Hayes.

The Reds’ 40-man roster now sits at 39, giving them room to make another addition before spring training ends, whether that be through free agency, the waiver wire or by promoting a current minor-league player to the roster.