Reds finally address biggest bullpen need by bringing Ohio native back home

It's not Kyle Schwarber, but the Cincinnati Reds finally addressed one of their biggest needs this offseason after reportedly agreeing to terms with Ohio native Caleb Ferguson. Prior to Ferguson's signing, the only left-handed reliever in the Reds bullpen had been Sam Moll, but now the relief corps is bit more balanced.

Nick Krall has been unrelenting in his desire to stockpile bullpen arms this offseason, but to date, had only re-upped with closer Emilio Pagán. The backed of the Reds bullpen feels secure with Pagán, Tony Santillan, and Graham Ashcraft, but the bridge to the later innings had been questionable throughout the offseason.

Ferguson is from nearby Columbus, Ohio and played last season for both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners. He owned a collective 3.58 ERA wtih 51 punch outs while covering 65 innings. The deal is pending a physical, but it would seem that Cincinnati finally found its left-handed reliever.

Reds sign left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson

Ferguson is just 29 years old and made 70 appearances in 2025. He's not going to overwhelm batters with his fastball, but he's certainly going to limit hard contact — something the Reds' front office has been chasing for a few years.

Last season, Ferguson was among the best in the majors in terms of barrel rate, average exit velocity, and hard-hit rate. The lefty also did a great job of keeping the ball on the ground, something that typically plays well at Great American Ball Park.

Ferguson has been a workhorse the past few seasons, logging 200 appearances and 180 innings since 2023. His 3.85 ERA during that time should give Reds manager Terry Francona some confidence late in games, but there are some major concerns when Ferguson stands in to face a right-handed batter.

Against righties last season, Ferguson saw the opposition touch him up to the tune of a .263 batting average against. When facing a fellow lefty, that number dropped to a minuscule .181. Ferguson gave up just two home runs last season, both came against right-handed batters. But with the three-batter minimum rule now implemented, Francona will have to pick his spots and deploy Ferguson when it's most advantageous.

Reds fans are hoping this isn't the only free agent addition the team makes before the Christmas holiday. Having Ferguson in the fold is step in the right direction, but the Reds still have a number of holes that need to be filled.