Reds could quietly benefit from complex (but convenient) Astros roster move

Chandler Rome of The Athletic is reporting that the Houston Astros recently placed reliever Roddery Muñoz on outright waivers. Understandably, most Reds fans probably forgot that Muñoz was part of the team's offseason roster, but because he was a Rule 5 Draft pick, the right-hander could be headed back to Cincinnati.

Muñoz was claimed off waivers by the Reds after he was designated for assignment by the St. Louis Cardinals last November. He later signed a minor-league contract with Cincinnati and was outrighted to Triple-A. But because he was no longer part of the 40-man roster, the Astros snagged Muñoz during the Rule 5 Draft last December.

MLB rules state that a player who's selected in the Rule 5 Draft must remain on the active roster throughout the entire regular season or be offered back to his original team.

In this case, if Muñoz clears waivers, the Astros must first offer him back to the Reds before sending him down to the minor leagues. And here's the catch, the Reds don't have to make a corresponding 40-man roster move, and can just send him down to Triple-A Louisville.

Reds could add Roddery Muñoz to bolster their pitching depth

Muñoz has struggled during his brief tenure with the Astros. He did just enough to break camp with Houston and in three games this season has just as many walks (6) as he does strikeouts. It's a small sample size, but his 15.75 ERA over four innings is unsightly, and his career 7.10 ERA isn't much better.

But the Reds didn't just pluck Muñoz off waivers from the Cardinals without reason. He's a four-pitch pitcher who put up good numbers at Triple-A Memphis in 2025. The right-hander made 38 appearances for St. Louis' minor-league affiliate and posted a respectable 3.28 ERA and 3.43 FIP to go along with a 30.5% strikeout rate.

Muñoz's biggest bugaboo, as evidenced by his obscene 12.5% career walk-rate, is control. He typically sits in the mid-to-upper 90s and relies on his fastball/ slider combination, though he'll mix in a cutter and sinker on occasion.

It's a low-risk move on the part of the Reds, and one that could pay off if Cincinnati needs an extra arm at some point later this season. If Muñoz passes through waivers, don't be surprised to see him return to the Reds organization sometime later this week.