Former Reds pitcher is daring the front office to give him a shot

Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Amir Garrett never lacked confidence, and it appears he's ready to prove himself once again. During an exchange on X (formerly Twitter), Garrett revealed that he told Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall that he'd make this year's team. Should Cincinnati's front office give him a chance to back up his claim?

The fireballing left-hander spent the first-part of his Major League career in the Reds bullpen before being traded to the Kansas City Royals prior to the start of the 2022 season. Garrett was shipped to KC in exchange for left-handed starter Mike Minor, and has since pitched for the Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Angels.

Last season, Garrett signed a free agent contract with the Toronto Blue Jays before Opening Day, but only appeared in 10 games for the organization's Minor League affiliates. He was released last August and is currently a free agent.

Former Reds pitcher Amir Garrett wants to return to Cincinnati

Garrett is probably most well remembered for his fiery personality and longtime beef with former Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez. The two competitors were oftentimes seen jawing with one another during games, and on at least one occasion, it didn't matter if Baez was even in the batters' box.

Then there was the unfortunate benches-clearing melee with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019. During a mound visit, Garrett left the bump and charged the entire Pirates dugout before trying to throw a Superman punch at anybody wearing a black and gold uniform. His antics resulted in an eight-game suspension.

If there's one thing the Reds lack at the moment — aside from a masher in the middle of the batting order — it's a hard-throwing left-hander in the bullpen. The Reds re-signed Sam Moll to a one-year deal and agreed to terms with free agent Caleb Ferguson, but that's the extent of Cincinnati's left-handed bullpen depth. Would it really be the worst thing in the world to offer Garrett a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training?

The last time Garrett was on a Major League mound, he struck out 45% of the batters he faced and generated a 39.5% whiff rate while pitching for the Halos in 2024. Walks have always been the biggest concern for AG, and they were during his abbreviated stint in Anaheim (20.8% BB-rate). But as the Reds look to piece together their bullpen for 2026, there are far less attractive options than Garrett.