Reds: 3 additional bullpen arms who must be recalled immediately

1 of 3

GOODYEAR, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 28: Art Warren #77 of the Cincinnati Reds prepares for a spring training game. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

Who can the Reds turn to in order to improve the team’s Achilles heel?

The Cincinnati Reds bullpen nearly gave another game away on Friday night versus the Chicago Cubs. David Bell has to be running out of patience, as his team was able to avert disaster, but forced the Reds skipper to burn two of his best pitchers in a game that should have been over long belong the Cubbies rallied and had the go-ahead run sitting at first base with two outs in the ninth inning.

Leading 8-2 heading into the seventh inning, José De León allowed an RBI double and an RBI single, which cut the Reds lead from six runs to four. The final inning added some drama, and Bell had to call upon Tejay Antone in order to preserve the victory. Cincinnati emerged with an 8-6 win over their division rivals.

This cannot continue. We all know about the lack of spending in the offseason, but it’s reached a point where the front office needs to bring in some fresh arms from the alternate site. Who can Nick Krall call upon with the bullpen emerging as the team’s most glaring weakness?

1. Art Warren, Reds right-handed pitcher

Art Warren has been along for the ride a few times already this season. The Cincinnati Reds taxi squad has seen Warren join the club on the road during trips to San Francisco, Arizona, Los Angeles, and St. Louis. It’s time to have Warren join the club on a more permanent basis.

Warren has major league experience, and the 28-year-old is already part of Cincinnati’s 40-man roster. Optioning José De León to the alternate site and allowing the former top prospect in the Tampa Bay organization to start his minor league season at Triple-A Louisville should be a no-brainer. This would enable De León to be a starter for the Bats, and the Reds to gain a fresh arm.

Warren’s professional career has been defined by nagging injuries, but the right-hander has a fastball that sits in the upper-90s. Warren’s command has oftentimes been questioned, but if he can refine his slider, the former Mariners’ prospect can at least provide some relief for this beleaguered Reds bullpen.

DENVER, COLORADO – JUNE 12: Phillip Diehl #64 of the Colorado Rockies throws in the eighth inning. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

2. Phillip Diehl, Reds left-handed pitcher

The Cincinnati Reds claimed Phillip Diehl off waivers from the Colorado Rockies last month, and the southpaw has been working at the alternate site for the past few weeks. Diehl, a native of Cincinnati and graduated of Moeller High School, is a strike thrower. After last night’s debacle saw five walks in four innings by Reds relievers, Diehl’s ability to throw strikes could be in high demand.

Diehl is not going to blow you away with his stuff. Typically, Diehl’s fastball sits in the low-90s, and he has a slider that stays in the low-80s. Diehl’s ability to locate his pitches is what makes him effective. With Amir Garrett, Cionel Pérez, and Sean Doolittle leaving a lot to the imagination so far this season, David Bell could use a reliable lefty out of the bullpen.

Diehl has a career-ERA of 8.78, so let’s not get too excited about his potential. His splits show that the 26-year-old has better success against left-handers, which could be useful for Cincinnati as a middle reliever. Doolittle would still be the Reds best option late in games versus left-handed hitters.

Phillip Diehl is not an ideal choice to join the Reds bullpen, but with a spot on the 40-man roster and one minor-league option remaining, it feels like a move thee front office would make. The Reds also have Pérez, Josh Osich, and Brandon Finnegan at the alternate site, but only Pérez is on the 40-man roster, and we’v already seen that he’s not ready for the bigs quite yet.

GOODYEAR, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 23: Starting pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez #76 of the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images) /

3. Vladimir Gutierrez, Reds right-handed pitcher

With his suspension now over, it’s time for the Cincinnati Reds to call up Vladimir Gutierrez. In fact, it’s past time. Once he became eligible, Cincinnati’s front office should have rushed Gutierrez to the bigs and inserted him in place of José De León as the Reds’ long-man out of the bullpen. Gutierrez has long been viewed as a starter, but his stuff may work better in shorter outings.

Gutierrez was suspended for 80 games following his use of performance enhancing drugs. But the right-handed has been reinstated and assigned to the alternate site. However, Cincinnati needs to forgo the idea of turning Gutierrez into a starter and bring the hard-throwing Cuban to the big leagues.

Gutierrez’s ascension to the majors feels inevitable this season. Had 2020 been a normal year in terms of a 162-game season, it’s likely we would’ve seen Gutierrez after he served his suspension. Gutierrez has a fastball that sits in the low-90s, but he can add some more velocity, especially if the Reds turn him into a reliever.

The Reds rotation is crowded. In addition to the current five, you’ve got pitchers like Tejay Antone, Tony Santillan, Nick Lodolo, Hunter Greene, and Lyon Richardson climbing the ladder. Cincinnati had hoped to bring Gutierrez along as back-of-the-rotation starter as well, but he may be better served as a reliever; at least this season.

Next. Votto cements this status as a HOF'er

The Cincinnati Reds front office cannot just sit on their hands any longer. Heath Hembree has been a welcome sight, and Ryan Hendrix has shown flashes as well. While we know the Reds are unlikely to sign a free agent or make a flashy trade for a reliable reliever, they can’t allow David Bell to continue to run out the likes of José De León and Sal Romano. It’s not working.

Home / Reds News