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

Brandon Williamson was the prized prospect the Cincinnati Reds received last spring after sending third baseman Eugenio Suarez and outfielder Jesse Winker to the Seattle Mariners.

But Williamson's standing within the organization has taken a major hit. The left-hander owns an 8.46 ERA and is coming off an outing where he allowed eight runs on five hits in less than an inning.

What in the world are the Reds to do with Williamson? They can't just designate him for assignment; that would be crazy. Let's look at three ways the Reds could help Williamson after a disastrous start to his 2023 season.

1. Reds prospect Brandon Williamson should be sent back to Double-A.

Brandon Williamson just hasn't been the same pitcher he was back in 2021 while he was with the Seattle Mariners organization. Back then, Williamson owned a 3.39 ERA and recorded 153 punch outs in fewer than 100 innings pitched.

However, in the 52 starts since, Williamson is 11-16 with a 4.22 ERA. The strikeouts are still there, but his stuff hasn't been near as dominant. The southpaw has 292 strikeouts which equates to a 27.1-percent strikeout-rate. Williamson owned a 37.4-percent strikeout-rate in 2021.

Williamson has just not looked comfortable since making the leap to Triple-A. He currently has an ERA above 5.00 in 19 Triple-A starts, and has been handing out free passes nearly 15-percent of the time he's on the bump. Things just haven't gone well since Williamson arrived in the Derby City.

Perhaps a return to a lower-level of competition would allow Williamson to regain some confidence. Did the Cincinnati Reds promote Williamson to Triple-A too quickly? Perhaps. While it may be a bit of a blow to one's confidence, sending Brandon Williamson back to Double-A Chattanooga may be in the cards.

3. Reds prospect Brandon Williamson should be promoted to the active roster.

This may sound crazy, but maybe it's just crazy enough to work. Let's not act as if Brandon Williamson wasn't in line to be part of the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster. Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Graham Ashcraft had secured their spots, but Williamson could've easily landed a spot in the starting rotation out of spring training.

In fact, had Luis Cessa not returned from the World Baseball Classic when he did, there's a good chance that the Reds rotation coming out of Goodyear would have been Greene, Lodolo, Ashcraft, Williamson, and Connor Overton.

Here's where this idea might actually make sense - he'd receive one-on-one tutelage from Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson. While some don't think Johnson is as good as advertised, among most baseball experts and pundits, DJ is very well-respected. After having seen the success that so many pitchers have had while learning under Johnson, it's kind of hard to argue that point.

Has Brandon Williamson earned a call-up? No, that's not up for debate. He's fallen on his face, and on merit alone, there's no reason that Williamson should be brought up to The Show. But it's not as if the backend of the Cincinnati starting rotation is made up of players who are going to be part of the long-term future.

The Cincinnati Reds could move Cessa back to the bullpen, keep Luke Weaver as the team's No. 4 starter, and give Williamson a bite at the apple. What's the worst thing that can happen? He gets shellacked by big league hitters, is optioned back to the minors, and learns what he needs to do in order to get back?

At this point, anything is better than just running Brandon Williamson out to the mound again and again at Triple-A Louisville. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The Reds have already tried that. It's time for a change.