Cincinnati Reds: Three veteran relief pitchers worth signing

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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.

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