2 Reds players who've hurt their cause during the WBC and 1 who's helped it

Reds RHP Fernando Cruz helped his cause while playing in the WBC.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Fernando Cruz has done nothing to hurt his cause while playing in the World Baseball Classic. In fact, he may have helped himself tremendously with his performance during the WBC.

Team Puerto Rico was unable to reach the WBC semifinals, but don't blame Cruz for that. Other than Yackel Rios, Cruz appeared in more games than anyone for Puerto Rico.

The right-hander spent most of last season at Triple-A Louisville and finally realized his major league dream at the age of 32 after being drafted as an infielder back in 2007. Cruz, along with Spencer Steer, was September call-up last season.

Despite being with the big league club for just one month, Cruz finished with 0.8 bWAR and a 1.23 ERA in 14 appearances. In the WBC, Cruz made three relief appearances covering 3.2 innings while allowing just one run on four hits while striking out five batters.

Look for Fernando Cruz to occupy a spot along side fellow countryman Alexis Diaz in the backend of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen. Cruz may end up being one of the better Reds relievers in 2023. Of course, that's not saying much given the current state of the Cincinnati bullpen.