1 Reds reliever that fans want to see less of in 2023

The Cincinnati Reds bullpen is filled with a bunch of inexpensive talent that have performed well above their price tag. This kind of production has been huge for the Reds, as the pitching staff has suffered a myriad of injuries lately.

Notably, pitchers like Alexis Diaz, Derek Law, Buck Farmer, and Lucas Sims have picked up the slack, firing quality innings out of the bullpen on a regular basis.

This production, albeit excessive usage, has made up for injuries to valuable arms like Nick Lodolo and short stints from several of the Cincinnati starters.

1 Reds reliever that we want to see less of in 2023.

One relief pitcher that has not performed well this season been Fernando Cruz. Cruz is currently on the 15-day Injured List with a right shoulder strain. A return date is still unknown. But upon his return, Reds fans surely want to see less of him in 2023.

Cruz has totaled 13.2 innings thus far, ranking him seventh-most among relievers. Cruz has been far from the pitcher he was last fall, posting a 6.59 ERA and 1.68 WHIP. Cruz has also struggled with some command problems, where he is walking over five batters per nine innings.

Cruz was rocked in the first game of the season, but appeared to be righting the ship before hitting a downward spiral and landing on the IL. Cruz had allowed at least one run in each of his last five appearances before the injury.

While technically still a rookie, Fernando Cruz is 33 years old. While he's under team control for several more seasons, there are many talented, young relievers coming up through the Cincinnati Reds farm system.

Kevin Herget and Lucas Sims could log more innings, and once he returns from the IL, Casey Legumina could see an increase in usage as well. Once Cruz returns to the active roster, Reds fans are going to want to see less of the right-hander, especially in high-leverage situations.