Cincinnati Reds: Jesse Biddle looks to rebound after atrocious season

As good as Jesse Biddle’s 2018 season was, his 2019 campaign couldn’t have been much worse. The Cincinnati Reds tree hoping for the 2018 version of Biddle.

The life of a relief pitcher is a fickle one. Jesse Biddle can most certainly attest to that. After making his big league debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2018, Biddle looked like a solid left-handed option out of the bullpen. However, Biddle played for three teams last year and ended 2019 with an 8.36 ERA. Hopefully he has better luck with the Cincinnati Reds.

The Reds signed Biddle to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training. The 28-year-old spent his first major league season in the ATL, but bounced around from Atlanta to Seattle to Arlington. In a combined 30 games between the Braves, Mariners, and Texas Rangers, Biddle had a 6.46 FIP and 2.286 WHIP. Yikes!

Short on left-handed pitchers, the Reds appear to be taking a flyer on Biddle, and why not? Just two years ago, the southpaw locked up opposing batters with a 3.11 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 63.2 innings of work. Currently, Cincinnati has just Amir Garrett and Cody Reed as left-handed relief options on the 40-man roster.

Biddle is a former first-round pick, taken with the 27th overall selection by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010. Before beginning his major league career, Biddle underwent Tommy John surgery following the 2015 season and missed the entire 2016 season while recovering from surgery.

Biddle relies mainly on a four-seam fastball, but also has an effective slider and cutter ins repertoire. According to FanGraphs, Biddle’s fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90s. Biddle kept the ball down in 2018, putting up a 55.6% ground ball-rate. However, last year, that number dropped to 45.8%, which obviously was partially to blame for his down year.

Jesse Biddle is not going to light up the radar gun, nor is he going to get Reds Country excited, but he does add depth to a bullpen with a few question marks. In terms of bullpen help, Cincinnati has added little more than a few veteran arms with an invite to spring training. Biddle joins that list, and the Reds are hopeful for a bounce back season in 2020.

During his minor league career, Biddle drew comparisons to Andy Pettite according to MLB Pipeline. Though Biddle never reached that level, he could still be an effective reliever next season. Maybe a spring under the tutelage of Derek Johnson and Caleb Cotham will help bring out the best in Jesse Biddle.