Cincinnati Reds: Three veteran relief pitchers worth signing

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ST LOUIS, MO – SEPTEMBER 28: Steve Cishek #41 of the Chicago Cubs delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh inning at Busch Stadium on September 28, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

Craig Stammen, a reliever the Cincinnati Reds were rumored to be pursuing this offseason, is off the board. What remaining relievers should the team target?

The Cincinnati Reds bullpen is not in shambles, in fact, it’s far from it. However, adding a few veterans the relief corps should be among the finishing touches that Cincinnati’s front office needs to consider before heading to Goodyear, Arizona for spring training. What three remaining veteran relief pitchers should the Reds consider signing?

Relief pitching has garner little attention from the Reds brass this winter. So far, Dick Williams and Nick Krall have focus, mainly, on adding additional bats to help boost a lineup that ranked 12th in the National League last season in terms of runs scored (701). Cincinnati did add Wade Miley as well in an effort to improve the starting rotation.

The bullpen, while a constant source of criticism among fans this offseason, was not bad at all in 2019. The Reds pen ranked seventh in ERA (4.28), and while many throughout Reds Country will bemoan the overuse of relievers, Cincinnati came in 11th in the NL in terms of innings pitched (554.2). Even the batting average against (.235) was among the best in the league.

Still, adding some relief pitchers via free agency would help add depth to the bullpen. Cincinnati was rumored to be interested in Craig Stammen, who reportedly agreed to a multi-year contract with the San Diego Padres yesterday. It appears that advanced age of relievers is not a concern among GMs throughout the league, so let’s take a peek at a few veteran arms who could help the Reds in 2020.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 10: Tony Sipp #36 of the Washington Nationals delivers a pitch in the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 10, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) /

1. Tony Sipp, Left-handed pitcher

Outside of Amir Garrett, the Cincinnati Reds have little to no options in terms of left-handed relievers heading into next season. Cody Reed, who’s out of minor league options, will likely be given every opportunity to make next year’s squad, but beyond that, Cincinnati has no real left-handed relievers to deploy.

Tony Sipp signed one-year deal with the Washington Nationals last winter. Following up a dazzling 2018 season with the Houston Astros, Sipp signed for $1M shortly before last season began. After posting a 1.87 ERA and 2.41 FIP in 2018, Sipp did not match those lofty numbers last season after joining the Nats.

In just 21 innings of work, Tony Sipp’s ERA was sitting at 4.71. His FIP, however, was 3.55, suggesting Sipp was a bit unlucky. Still, Sipp’s lack of production cost him, as the southpaw was designated for assignment and later released during early August. Sipp’s strikeout-rate dropped from 27.8% in 2018 to 19.6% last year according to FanGraphs.

Is Sipp the answer to Cincinnati’s lack of left-handed relievers? Absolutely not, but if he would agree to a minor-league deal, perhaps pitching coach Derek Johnson could work his magic and help Sipp return to being serviceable left-handed reliever for Cincinnati next season.

The biggest drawback to Sipp may be his lack of appearances against right-handed hitters. Of the 36 appearances Sipp made last season, only nine saw the lefty go at least one inning. Given MLB’s new rule that requires pitchers to face at least three batters, Sipp may be limited in his effectiveness out of the bullpen.

PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 04: Steve Cishek #41 of the Chicago Cubs delivers a pitch in the ninth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on July 4, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

2. Steve Cishek, Right-handed pitcher

Steve Cishek should be among the top free agent targets on the Cincinnati Reds shopping list. The right-handed reliever has spent the past two seasons with the Chicago Cubs, putting up a combined 2.55 ERA over 143.1 innings pitched. Cishek does not throw hard, but his delivery and deception are effective. Adding Cishek would solidify the Reds bullpen heading into next season.

Cishek is a sinker ball pitcher. The 33-year-old is a former fifth-round draft pick of the Miami Marlins and has bounced around the league for the better part of his major league career. Cishek found a home in Chicago the past two years after agreeing to a two-year/$13M deal with the North Siders back in December of 2017.

Reds fans remember the success that Jared Hughes, also a sinker ball pitcher, had at Great American Ball Park during his two seasons in the Queen City. Last season, according to FanGraphs, Cishek saw his ground ball-rate hit 50.0%. Every Reds fan knows how well that type of arsenal plays at GABP.

Cishek does not come without his flaws. While he has been dominant in his career against right-handed hitters to the tune of a .199 batting average against (BAA), left-handers are not as susceptible. Left-handed hitters have a career-OPS of .694 when facing Cishek and last season opposing hitters had a .733 OPS.

It’s honestly a bit surprising that Steve Cishek has yet to land a major league deal. Unlike Tony Sipp, securing Cishek would be a bit more costly. Before the offseason began, MLB Trade Rumors predicted the right-hander could earn a two-year/$10M contract. Craig Stammen was projected to be in the same ballpark, so a deal for Cishek would likely look similar to the one just signed by the Padres left-hander.

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 13: Jerry Blevins #50 of the Atlanta Braves pitches against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park on September 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

3. Jerry Blevins, Left-handed pitcher

Another potential left-handed pitcher that the Cincinnati Reds could look to add this offseason might be Jerry Blevins. The southpaw played in 45 games last season after being dealt to the Atlanta Braves. For his career, Blevins’ ERA sits at 3.54. After a rough 2018 season with the New York Mets, Blevins saw an improvement last season.

Blevins’ best seasons came with the Mets during two of his three years in Queens. After a trade from Washington, Blevins joined the Metropolitans in 2015. After taking a comebacker off his left arm early that season, Blevins was placed on the disabled list. A freak accident resulted in Blevins re-fracturing the same arm, ending his 2015 campaign.

The following two seasons, however, saw Blevins put up solid numbers. The southpaw went 10-2 with a 2.87 ERA, 3.09 FIP, and 121 strikeouts while putting up a 143 ERA+ from 2016 to 2017. At age 34, however, Blevins saw his numbers spike in 2018. His ERA rose to 4.85 in 42.2 innings of work.

Blevins would obviously not be tremendous signing, but a veteran left-hander would add some depth to the Reds roster. Blevins’ strikeout-rate, according to FanGraphs, jumped from 21.8% in 2018 to 26.2% last season. His walk-rate, however, has been above 10% for the past three seasons, sitting at 11.4% during that timeframe.

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With Drew Pomeranz and Craig Stammen both signed by San Diego, the relief market is quite scarce. Given that Cincinnati’s bullpen currently offers just Amir Garrett as the lone lefty, any additional help from the left side would be welcome. A minor-league deal for Jerry Blevins could be a low-risk/high-reward option if he returns to form.

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Craig Stammen, a reliever the Cincinnati Reds were rumored to be pursuing this offseason, is off the board. What remaining relievers should the team target?

1. Tony Sipp, Left-handed pitcher

2. Steve Cishek, Right-handed pitcher

3. Jerry Blevins, Left-handed pitcher

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