3 Reds players whose career in Cincinnati may be over after 2022

2. Reds LHP Amir Garrett must return to form in 2022.

Amir Garrett is on thin ice. Honestly, I expected the left-hander to be a casualty of the non-tender deadline. AG's performance in 2021 was putrid. Yes, the velocity was still there, and that wipeout slider is virtually unhittable when Garrett is hitting his spots.

Unfortunately, that was not the case in 2021. Garrett went from the Cincinnati Reds closer to begin the season to not recording a single save after July 20th. Reds manager David Bell lost all confidence in AG, and frankly, I don't blame him.

Amir Garrett is a brash, confident hurler who wears his emotion on his sleeve. That's an admirable trait and can be infectious to one's teammates at times. However, you got to back it up on the field, and Garrett failed to do that in 2021.

AG posted a 6.04 ERA in 47.2 innings of work. Yes, the 61 punch outs were solid, but Garrett also allowed 29 free passes and nine round trippers. Those are the numbers that AG must fix heading into the 2022 season.

If I'm David Bell, I wouldn't give Garrett the ball past the sixth inning until he showed that he can handle it. Amir Garrett has the talent to be one of the best left-handed relievers in the league, but he sure as heck didn't show it last season.

AG is entering the 2022 season with what many estimate will be a salary just north of $2M. If Garrett plays up to his potential, that's a steal of a deal. If we see the same version of Garrett that we did in 2021, I can't see him returning to Cincinnati in 2023.