Reds rumors: Jeremy Jeffress drawing interest from Cincinnati Reds

If the latest Reds rumors are true, Cincinnati may be well on its way to solidifying the bullpen heading into next season.

It didn’t take long for the latest Reds rumors involving right-hander Jeremy Jeffress to surface. One of the best relievers in the game last season saw his 2019 campaign crash and burn. As a result, the 32-year-old is now unemployed. Could the Cincinnati Reds really swoop in and pick up Jeffress with an eye towards 2020?

Matt Ehalt of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Jeffress has a sizable market. Among the teams interested are the Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays and the team that just released Jeffress, the Milwaukee Brewers.

With Jeffress’ release coming after August 31st, he would not be eligible to be on any team’s postseason roster. While that’s not a concern for the Reds this season, the other three teams mentioned are in contention for the playoffs.

Jeremy Jeffress comes with some baggage and a very poor 2019 season. The right-hander missed the first several weeks of the season with shoulder fatigue and was activated in mid-April. In the early going, Jeffress looked similar to the player that put up a 1.29 ERA in 2018 for the Brewers.

However, that version of Jeffress was short-lived and the for Texas Rangers standout looked like a shadow of himself. Jeffress is 3-4 on the season with a 5.02 ERA and a 1.365 WHIP. Jeffress has just 46 strikeouts over 52 innings after recording 89 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched in 2018.

Over his 10-year career, Jeremy Jeffress has bounced all over the league. Seeing time in Milwaukee, Texas, Toronto and Kansas City, Jeffress has a 3.16 career-ERA and 135 ERA. Jeffress went to his first All-Star Game last season.

Does reuniting with his former pitching coach, Derek Johnson, make sense? Eh, if the price is right, sure. Jeffress was released by the Brewers for a reason. He struggled to remain healthy this season, landing on the injured list with a hip ailment before he was released.

The latest Reds rumors are intriguing. If the Cincinnati Reds do land Jeffress, it would definitely be with an eye towards next season. The Reds bullpen has seen its fair share of struggles down the stretch and another proven arm couldn’t hurt next year’s pursuit of a division title.