Former Astros lefty could be an underrated addition to the Reds pitching staff

Assuming Brock Burke leaves in free agency, the Cincinnati Reds are facing a serious issue: There are no left-handed relievers on the 40-man roster. The rotation is loaded with them — the trio of Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, and Brandon Williamson make up 60% of the starting five at present — but Terry Francona needs some options to shut down left-handed batters late in games.

This was already an area of concern before free agency, as the Reds got just 170 innings from their left-handed relief contingent in 2026, the 11th-fewest in the league. Considering Burke, Sam Moll (released in September), and Caleb Ferguson (traded at the deadline) accounted for 90% of that volume, there's not really anywhere to turn but the free agent and trade markets.

Thankfully, there are some high-quality relievers available, including one who should be firmly on Cincy's radar: Steven Okert. After struggling for years to find his footing in the big leagues, the 35-year-old has firmly established himself as one of baseball's best lefty relievers.

Steven Okert is a picture-perfect option for Reds' bullpen despite his reputation as a fly-ball pitcher

The numbers speak for themselves; over the past two seasons with the Astros, Okert has appeared in 136 games while recording a 2.58 ERA and 2.99 FIP. He's struck out 152 while issuing just 33 walks in that span, and his 2.7 fWAR ranks 14th among all relievers and fourth among lefty relievers.

In other words, he's part of an elite class of late-game arms, even though he only has two career saves to his name. Because of that, Okert might not be a perfect one-to-one replacement for Emilio Pagán, but that doesn't limit his appeal as a high-leverage weapon.

There is one major concern about his fit in Cincinnati: He's an extreme fly ball pitcher. Among qualified relievers this year, Okert's 26.3% ground-ball rate was the third-worst in baseball. Naturally, his 55.7% fly-ball rate was also the second-highest. Playing his home games in Great American Ball Park — which has yielded 13% more home runs than average since 2023, tied for fourth-most in the league — might not be the best way to amplify his skillset.

However, those concerns should be mitigated by the knowledge that Okert's breakout just happened in Houston's Daikin Park, which has the exact same 113 home-run park factor as GABP. The short-porch Crawford Boxes in left field didn't stymie Okert's progress with the Astros, so one would have to feel confident he could keep limiting home runs with the Reds.

At a projected price tag of two years and $14 million according to MLB Trade Rumors, he'd add a crucial weapon to Terry Francona's late-game arsenal for a reasonable cost. Unless the Reds are planning to go big on someone like Adrian Morejon this winter (and they most likely aren't), Okert should be a top priority target for the front office.

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