Cincinnati Reds’ Patrick Kivlehan – the man without a future?

The Cincinnati Reds added the former top prospect of the Seattle Mariners to their bench and he has been OK.

The Cincinnati Reds added another team’s former top prospect and have intermittently forgotten about him and played him all over.  Following the 2015 Patrick Kivlehan was the top hitting prospect for the Seattle Mariners.  Then he was traded to the Texas Rangers for Leonys Martin.

After only two months of playing in the Texas system, the Rangers traded him back to Seattle.  The San Diego Padres claimed him off of waivers when the Mariners tried to sneak him off of the forty man roster. Then the Reds claimed him in September of 2016.

The Mariners drafted Kivlehan out of Rutgers and he became the slugger that never developed.  In the minors he batted .282 with an OBP of .344.  Unfortunately, he only averaged 16 home runs per season over five years in the minors.

Truth be told, something happened when Kivlehan moved up to Triple-A.  He was a .300 hitter with an OBP over .360 and looked ready for stardom.  Once he reached Triple-A he became the .250 hitter than he appears to be now.

Want your voice heard? Join the Blog Red Machine team!

Write for us!

The Reds even designated him for assignment two weeks after picking him up.  Within a year Kivlehan went from a top prospect to a guy on waivers.  It could have been his age or it could have been something else.  He finally made the team this year, though.

More from Reds News

• Reds: 3 players who may lose their roster spot when Jesse Winker returns
• Reds vs. Pirates: Pitching preview, prediction, and more
• Reds appropriately designate reliever Brad Brach for assignment
• Reds: 3 reasons why Jonathan India will win NL Rookie of the Year
• Reds: Despite six straight series defeats, Cincinnati is still contending

Patrick Kivlehan made the Cincinnati Reds roster out spring training to start the year as a bench player.

Only twice all season has Kivlehan started back to back games. He did it in Los Angeles against the Dodgers and when the Reds played the Washington Nationals and Saint Louis Cardinals on the road on back to back nights.  Other than that it has been rare starts and coming off of the bench.

In the minors Kivlehan played primarily third base, but also spent a little time at first and at all three outfield positions.  In his brief time with the San Diego Padres he played exclusively the corner outfield positions.  For the Reds he has played all five of the positions mentioned, but spent the least amount of time at his natural position of third base.

Kivlehan ended the month of April batting .300. That didn’t get him any more playing time. Now he is batting .206 with 6 home runs in 107 at-bats.

Next: The offense struggles out of the break

Does Kivlehan have a future in Cincinnati?  The way that the Reds used him this season, he does not.  There are just too many prospects right behind him in the Reds’ organization.