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2 things to like about Reds new pitcher Sam Moll & 1 thing that's very concerning

The Cincinnati Reds made a key acquisition on Monday night.

By Drew Koch |
Oakland Athletics pitcher Sam Moll
Oakland Athletics pitcher Sam Moll / Dustin Bradford/GettyImages
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The Cincinnati Reds swung a deal on Monday night that filled one of the team's biggest needs. The Reds traded pitching prospect Joe Boyle to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for pitcher Sam Moll.

The Reds have been operating for the better part of the 2023 season with only one left-handed reliever in the bullpen. After Reiver Sanmartin landed on the 60-day IL, Alex Young was it.

But adding Moll will give David Bell another option to face the opposition's best left-handed bats. What are two things to like about Cincinnati's newest addition, and what one thing is very concerning?

Reds newest addition Sam Moll in controllable beyond 2023 & has minor league options remaining.

One thing that the Cincinnati Reds are seeking in their trade deadline discussions is flexibility. Not just financial flexibility, though every fan throughout Reds Country knows that's part of the equation. But roster flexibility is far more important.

Sam Moll, though he is 31 years old, is under team control beyond just the remainder of the 2023 season. In other words, Moll is not a rental. The lefty won't even enter arbitration until 2025, meaning, Moll won't reach free agency until after the 2027 season.

Doing some quick math, that means that Sam Moll will be 35 years old by the time he reaches the free agent market. Most relievers have hit their peak and are one the downside of their career by that time, so this enables the Reds to keep Moll in Cincinnati throughout what is likely to be his best years as a major leaguer.

Perhaps more important is the fact that Moll has minor league options remaining. Much like Fernando Cruz and Alex Young, having a veteran pitcher whom you can move back and forth between the major leagues and Triple-A is a luxury that few pitchers in their 30s offer.

In the event that Sam Moll struggles or the Reds have another young reliever who better fills a need in the future, the Cincinnati Reds can option the southpaw to the minor leagues rather than designating him for assignment.

Reds newest addition Sam Moll has success against left-handed hitters.

This seems like a no-brainer, right? I mean, isn't that why you bring in a left-handed pitcher out of the bullpen? Theoretically, yes. But the Cincinnati Reds really haven't had the ability to do that in 2023.

While Alex Young has been leaned upon heavily as David Bell's lone left-handed option out of the bullpen, he hasn't really had tremendous success against left-handed batters. While his splits have been slightly better of late, Young hasn't seen a big difference when facing left-handed hitters versus right-handed hitters.

Against left-handed bats, Young has allowed the opposition to hit .235/.333/.346. Against right-handed hitters, Young is allowing a slash line of .231/.268/.397. The OPS-against is eerily similar, suggesting that Young's production against both left-handed and right-handed batters is about equal.

That's not the case with Sam Moll. The Reds newest reliever sees a massive difference when facing left-handed hitters versus right-handed hitters. Against left-handed bats, Moll has shutdown the opposition to the tune of .197/.254/.303, but right-handed bats have smacked him around by hitting .276/.474/.355.

David Bell is going to have to be a bit more strategic when deploying Sam Moll against the opposition. While Moll might be the better option if two of the next three hitters are left-handed, Bell should turn to Young if the next half-inning features just one potent bat from the left side.

Reds newest addition Sam Moll has not fared well on the road.

This is where things get dicey. Yes, the Cincinnati Reds needed to add a left-hander to the bullpen. And yes, Moll does a great job against left-handed hitters. But away from the Oakland Coliseum, Moll has struggled this season.

At home, Moll has made 24 appearances, has allowed just two extra-base hits in 21 innings of work and owns a 3.86 ERA with 27 punch outs and nine free passes. However, outside of the Bay Area, Moll has seen his numbers change drastically.

On the road in 2023, Moll has pitched in just under 17 innings and owns a 5.40 ERA with 19 strikeouts and 10 walks. Of his 18 hits allowed on the road, seven have gone for extra bases. While Moll has held opponents to an OPS of just .546 while playing in Oakland, on the road, that number jumps to .840.

According to FanGraphs, Sam Moll has a ground ball rate of 52-percent, so that will definitely work in his favor while pitching half his game in the bandbox that is Great American Ball Park. According to Baseball Savant, the Oakland Coliseum is among the most pitcher-friendly ballparks in the league, while GABP greatly favors the hitter.

Will Sam Moll struggle outside of Oakland? So far this season, the answer has been yes. Let's hope for the Reds' sake that Moll makes the necessary adjustments and finds success with his new team.

Next. 5 pitchers to trade for. 5 pitchers the Reds could target at the trade deadline. dark

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