Cincinnati Reds: Matt Bowman is turning heads since joining the club

Finally healthy, right-hander Matt Bowman provides another quality option for manager David Bell in the Cincinnati Reds bullpen.

The Cincinnati Reds‘ bullpen has been one of the best in baseball so far this season. While a lot of fans will look to Amir Garrett, Michael Lorenzen, and David Hernandez as the most impressive arms in the Reds’ pen, newcomer Matt Bowman has given David Bell another quality reliever to deploy late in games.

Matt Bowman spent much of the 2016 and 2017 seasons being one of the most dependable arms in former Cardinals’ manager Mike Matheny‘s bullpen. Appearing in a 134 games Bowman tossed 126 innings, while finishing 22 games. The reason he gained Matheny’s trust is easy to see.  Bowman keeps the ball on the ground.

Producing excellent ground ball rates of 61% and 54% in the 2016 and 2017 campaigns respectively, Matt Bowman surrendered just 8 homers in his first two years and seemed destined to being a stalwart of the St. Louis bullpen. However, the 2018 season nearly derailed Bowman’s promising career.

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Making only 22 appearances last year, Matt Bowman landed on the DL twice due to blisters on his fingers. Unfortunately, the news got even worse for Bowman. It was determined he had developed a circulation issue in his fingers and underwent surgery last September. As a result, the Cardinals waived their once reliable right-handed bullpen piece following the 2018 season.

Enter the Cincinnati Reds, who have never met a former Cardinal who wasn’t worth giving another opportunity. The Reds signed Matt Bowman on November 2, 2018 and provided him the opportunity to win a job in Spring Training. Even though he didn’t break camp with the club out of Goodyear, Arizona, the 28-year-old right-hander is rewarding the Reds’ front office for their confidence in him.

Since making his debut with Cincinnati on May 24th, Matt Bowman has appeared in 6 games and has been nothing short of outstanding. Tossing 5.2 innings he’s allowed only 3 hits and 1 run. Just as impressive, he’s yet to walk a batter while fanning 5 opposing hitters. Granted it’s a very small sample size, but the numbers are encouraging.

Inducing a 71.4% ground ball rate to begin his 2019 season, Matt Bowman possess the ingredients to be successful in Great American Ball Park. By keeping the ball on the ground and throwing strikes there’s no reason Bowman can’t be a valuable asset in the Cincinnati Reds bullpen for years to come.

The right-hander is not eligible for arbitration until next season and doesn’t hit free agency until the 2023 season. While projecting future bullpen members can be a tricky proposition, it’s conceivable the Reds will have the services of a proven reliable bullpen arm for years to come.

A bullpen makeover is a real possibility for the Reds’ 2020 season. Right-hander David Hernandez and lefty Zach Duke are both free agents following this season. Jared Hughes, who’s 34 years old, has a $3M team option for next season that I can’t imagine the Reds exercising. As the club looks to solidify the pen, Matt Bowman could find himself in the Queen City for an extended stay.