Reds just turned a forgotten arm into a high-leverage weapon

After losing Brent Suter to free agency this past winter, the Cincinnati Reds were in a need of a left-handed presence in the bullpen. The Reds signed Ohio native Caleb Ferguson to a free-agent deal and were part of a three-team trade that brought former Los Angeles Angels reliever Brock Burke to Cincinnati.

But Sam Moll has been the Reds' high-leverage lefty out of the 'pen so far this season. The 34-year-old was thought to be a non-tender candidate once the offseason began, but a strong spring helped propel him onto the Reds Opening Day roster. He's been one of Terry Francona's most trusted arms to begin the 2026 season.

Reds reliever Sam Moll has gone from forgotten to fantastic

Moll has made four appearances though the Reds' first seven games and has yet to allow a run. He hasn't even allowed a hit to the opposition and the only base runner came via walk. Moll has three punch outs on the young year while sitting down 13 of the 14 batters he's faced.

This is a drastic change from last season. Moll looked dreadful in 2025. Despite the Reds' dire need for an extra left-handed presence in the bullpen, he made just 23 appearances, covering only 18⅓ innings. Moll posted an unsightly 6.38 ERA and 12.3% walk rate. Cincinnati could not afford to carry such a liability on the active roster, and Moll spent most of the year in Triple-A with the Louisville Bats.

The Reds decided to give Moll one more chance this season after signing him to a meager one-year, $875,000 deal. Cincinnati showed their lack of faith, however, after acquiring both Ferguson and Brock, but Moll displayed tremendous heart and outplayed both of them during spring training.

Ferguson's placement on the 15-day IL undoubtedly helped Moll secure an Opening Day roster spot, but his 1.64 ERA across 11 Cactus League appearances more than qualified him to be break camp with the big league ball club.

But Moll can't just rest on his laurels. Ferguson will soon begin a rehab assignment, the Reds have some talented young hurlers at Triple-A Louisville, and the southpaw is out of minor-league options — so there's no wiggle room.

But if Moll continues to dominate opposing batters with his sinker-slider combo, he could become a fixture in the backend of the Reds bullpen.