Reds go all-in on polarizing prospect using blueprint that unlocked Graham Ashcraft

The Cincinnati Reds have seen Graham Ashcraft seamlessly shift his focus from the starting rotation to the bullpen and are hoping to see the same type of transformation from pitching prospect Connor Phillips. The right-hander returned from the injured list, and after a handful of appearances at High-A Dayton, is back with the Louisville Bats as a reliever.

Phillips is one of the most polarizing players on the Reds 40-man roster. He was the player to be named later in the 2022 trade that sent Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suárez to the Seattle Mariners. Though not named in the original deal, Phillips was not your typical PTBNL. The 64th selection in the 2020 MLB Draft, Phillips was viewed by many experts to be the best piece of the trade package — one that also included Jake Fraley, Brandon Williamson, and Justin Dunn.

But since joining the Reds' organization, it's been nothing short of an adventure for the former top-100 prospect. Phillips made his major league debut in 2023, and after surrendering three straight walks on only 12 pitches during the first inning of what would be the season-ending game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the righty has never been the same.

Reds go all-in on Connor Phillips using blueprint that unlocked Graham Ashcraft

Phillips has battled control issues throughout his professional career, but those struggles have been magnified of late. Things got so bad last season that Cincinnati shipped Phillips out to Arizona to get in some work at the team's training complex in Goodyear. Prior to that midseason tuneup, Phillips owned a 10.11 ERA in 14 starts with 50 walks and 53 punch outs.

Phillips made it back to the minors in late-August, and it seemed as if his control had slightly improved. In five starts to end his 2024 season at Triple-A Louisville, he struck out 25.3% of the batters he faced and posted a more respectable 10.5% walk rate.

Phillips has made just one appearance with the Louisville Bats this season, but it did come in relief. While his outings was dreadful — three runs on two hits with two walks and a hit-by-pitch in just ⅓ inning — it's obvious that Phillips' days as a starter are over.

If the hard-throwing right-hander can somehow regain some semblance of command, he could join Ashcraft in the backend of the Reds bullpen. Phillips' fastball sits in the upper 90s, and a move to the bullpen would allow him to abandon his failed changeup and focus more on his two above-average breaking balls.

Ashcraft struggled as a starter becasue he couldn't get through the opposing batting order more than twice without running into serious trouble. Though Phillips' problems are altogether different, the idea of moving him into a relief role could provide the same results — at least that's what the Reds are hoping for.

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