Cincinnati Reds: Recently waived Kevin Gausman added for bullpen depth

The Cincinnati Reds keep adding arms to an already loaded pitching staff. Kevin Gausman, who was waived by the Atlanta Braves, was added to the Reds roster on Monday.

Kevin Gausman is not having a good season. After helping the Atlanta Braves reach the postseason in 2018 following a midseason trade, the right-hander is mired in the worst season of his career. The Cincinnati Reds are hoping a change of scenery can help Gausman return to form. Perhaps Derek Johnson has some more magic up his sleeve.

A former first-round pick of the Baltimore Orioles, Gausman was traded to the Braves last season to help bolster their rotation. The Colorado native did just that. In 10 starts eclipsing 59.2 innings, Gauman went 5-3 with a 2.87 ERA.

This season, however, has not been as kind to the 28-year-old. Gausman is 3-7 with a 6.19 ERA and a 1.488 WHIP. So, wait a minute, why did the Reds make this acquisition? Don’t worry, Gausman will not be part of the rotation this season. Cincinnati seems comfortable with the quintet of Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Trevor Bauer, Anthony DeSclafani, and Alex Wood.

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Instead, Gausman will pitch out of the bullpen. Now, before you chuckle or quickly dismiss the idea, let’s look at what’s been going on in the Reds pen. Outside of Michael Lorenzen and Amir Garrett, is there anyone among the Cincinnati relief corps that you trust late in a game? I’ll wait.

Gausman has always had a plus fastball, but his velocity is down a bit this season. However, his K9 (9.56) rate is the highest it’s ever been in his major league career. If Reds pithing coach, Derek Johnson, can help Gausman find that sinking changeup that had everyone marveling at his talent in the minors, the Reds may have picked up a bargain.

This is a classic low-risk/ high-reward move. While Gausman is slated to be part of the Reds bullpen, it’s very rare that the front office makes any move without an eye towards the future. The addition of Gausman provides some insurance for the Reds in the long-term if the team decides to re-sign him in the offseason.

Gausman will be entering his final year of arbitration this coming offseason. After striking a deal this past year with Atlanta for $9.35M, the Reds will be on the hook for the remaining $2M-plus of his 2018 salary. Even though he’s had a horrific season, one would expect Gausman to make upwards of at least $10M next season.

That figure is ludicrous for a reliever, especially one that’s struggled as much as Gausman has this season. However, if Gausman shows promise, there’s a possibility that the Reds could view the former No. 4 overall pick as part of next year’s rotation. If Gausman returns to the level of pitching that enjoyed from 2014-2017, that type of contract wouldn’t be a bad deal.

However, if the Reds don’t see any upside, the front office can easily non-tender Kevin Gausman after the season and cut their losses. There’s always the possibility of a contact extension as well. The Cincinnati Reds have a lot of different ways they can go with Gausman.

For now, he’ll be added to the Reds bullpen. A corresponding move must occur today and the most likely candidates are Robert Stephenson or Lucas Sims. There’s an outside chance that the recently promoted Brian O’Grady could be sent back down, but with Curt Casali still on the injured list, Kyle Farmer‘s versatility is still needed behind the plate.

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Any additions to the Reds bullpen should be welcome at this point. The Cincinnati pen has looked like a shell of itself since the All-Star break. With the pending suspensions of Amir Garrett and Jared Hughes, adding Gausman to the pen is a better option than adding Matt Bowman or Jimmy Herget.

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