Creative plan for Brandon Williamson could unlock new advantage for the Reds

Cincinnati Reds Director of Pitching Derek Johnson recently sat down for an interview on the The Big Pod Machine with Gordon Wittenmyer and Pat Brennan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. During the discussion, Johnson was asked about Brandon Williamson's role for the 2026 season, and it sounds as if there's a chance B-Will could be headed to the bullpen.

"We've talked about that (moving Williamson to the bullpen) too," Johnson said. "With him being left-handed, there is a down-side to it. We do have a few lefties in our bullpen right now...If he ended up being the third (left-handed reliever) and he was a bulk-guy, you could really see it being beneficial in a lot of different ways."

Johnson went on to say that in the right situation, he could envision seeing Williamson eat two or three innings at time. This will be an interesting situation to monitor as the spring unfolds, though it still sounds as if the most likely scenario will be Williamson competing in camp alongside Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder for the fifth and final spot in the Reds starting rotation.

Brandon Williamson could replace Nick Martinez in the Reds bullpen

Currently, the Reds don't really have a long reliever. Brent Suter served in that role numerous times last season, and of course Nick Martinez was the quintessential hybrid pitcher for Cincinnati in 2024 and 2025. Martinez, who signed a free-agent contract with the Tampa Bay Rays this offseason, appeared in 40 games last season, 26 of which were starts.

As Johnson mentioned during the interview, adding Williamson to the bullpen would give Cincinnati several left-handed relievers. The Reds acquired both Caleb Ferguson and Brock Burke this winter, and though his Opening Day roster spot is far from guaranteed, Sam Moll remains an option as well. If all three lefties break camp with the big-league ball club, the idea of Williamson coming out of the bullpen will evaporate quickly.

If Williamson isn't the Reds long reliever in 2026, who will it be? Some interesting options include Jose Franco, Julian Aguiar, and non-roster invitee Lyon Richardson.

Williamson, who's coming off Tommy John surgery, has yet to appear in a Cactus League game this spring. But after watching Burns, Lowder, and Aguiar put in some work this weekend, it's a good bet that fans will see Williamson on the mound this week.