3 ways to solve Brandon Williamson's woes after disastrous start to 2023 season

2. Reds prospect Brandon Williamson should be moved into a relief role.

This might be the most practical move, but it really devalues what the Cincinnati Reds were trying to accomplish in 2022 after trading Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker to the Seattle Mariners.

That trade, while frowned upon at the time, has the chance to turn out very good for the Nick Krall and the Reds organization. But that trade starts to look a whole lot worse if Williamson fails to remain a starter. However, the harsh reality is that he may not have ability to be a starting pitcher at the major league level.

Reds fans have seen this before, Michael Lorenzen, Amir Garrett, Raisel Iglesias, Cody Reed, Sal Romano, and Robert Stephenson were all groomed to be starting pitchers in the big leagues. But it just didn't work out.

That may be the route that the Reds will have to take with Williamson. Cincinnati could work with Williamson to focus on what pitches he throws best, which should be his fastball and curveball.

Maybe taking that third and fourth offering off the table would allow Brandon Williamson to operate as a left-handed reliever and find success against predominantly left-handed hitters. While Williamson's pedigree suggests he should be a starter, it wouldn't be the worst thing to add another lefty to the bullpen.