Reds gamble backfires as Rockies take advantage of Cincy's roster crunch

The Cincinnati Reds made a few additions just before New Year's Day, and the post-holiday roster fallout was a delayed by a few days. Several MLB transactions were hung up over the past week, but on Wednesday Reds fans learned the fate of Lyon Richardson and Keegan Thompson — both of whom were designated for assignment after the team added JJ Bleday and Dane Myers.

Richardson will return to the Reds organization after being outrighted to Triple-A Louisville. Control and command were a problem for the former second-round pick in 2025, as evidenced by his 1.540 WHIP and 12.2% walk rate. Though not part of the 40-man roster, Richardson's presence in the minor leagues adds depth to Cincinnati's pitching staff heading into spring training.

Unfortunately, the Reds were not able to hang on to Thompson. The former Chicago Cubs hurler was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Rockies, and Thompson is now headed to the Mile High City ahead of the 2026 season. The Reds were undoubtedly hoping to sneak him through waivers, but Colorado jumped at the opportunity to bring Thompson into the fold.

Reds lose reliever Keegan Thompson to Rockies

Thompson didn't even log a single inning of work in the big leagues last season. The right-hander spent the entire season with the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in Iowa and racked up 83 punch outs over 64 innings pitched. The Cubs DFA'd Thompson shortly after the 2025 season came to a close, and the Reds signed him to a split deal. The contract was slated to pay Thompson $1.3 million if he broke camp with the big-league club.

The Reds still need to add some more bullpen help — especially after dumping both Richardson and Thompson from the 40-man roster. Cincinnati agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal with closer Emilio Pagán and signed left-hander Caleb Ferguson to a one-year contract, but they've still got a lot of holes to fill in a bullpen that lost Nick Martinez, Brent Suter, and Scott Barlow.

Several NL Central teams were recently linked to former New York Mets reliever Ryne Stanek, and it's assumed the Reds were one of those ball clubs.