Reds sign former Cubs pitcher fighting to revive his career

The Cincinnati Reds struck a Major League deal with former Chicago Cubs pitcher Keegan Thompson on Tuesday afternoon. The right-hander spent all of last season in the minor leagues, but was nails for the Cubs a few years back.

Thompson's command has all but disappeared, though his numbers in the minor leagues were not obscene. The 30-year-old spent his entire 2025 campaign at Triple-A Iowa, and in 33 appearances, posted a 4.50 ERA while striking out nearly 30% of the batters he faced.

It can be assumed that Thompson will enter the competition for a spot in the Reds bullpen next season. Cincinnati is set to lose several pitchers to free agency this offseason. Emilio Pagán, Scott Barlow, Brent Suter, and Nick Martinez, are unlikely to return in 2026, and the Reds could be planning for Thompson to cover some of those innings next season.

Former Cubs' reliever Keegan Thompson signed Major League deal with the Reds

Thompson has 104 Major League outings under his belt with over 220 inning pitched. He took on a hybrid role for the Cubs during the 2022 season, starting in 17 of the 29 games he pitched. That year, Thompson went 10-5 with a 3.76 ERA, 4.40 FIP, and a 22% strikeout rate.

But Thompson lost his command the following two seasons. From 2023-24, the righty was able to keep his ERA (3.66) in check, but his walk-rate skyrocketed. After keeping the base paths clean in 2022, his walk-rate nearly doubled. Thompson allowed nearly 15% of the batters he faced to reach base freely, and it resulted in his demotion to the minor leagues.

The Cubs never saw enough from Thompson last season to even give him a call-up to the big leagues, and he was let go this offseason. Thompson is out of minor-league options, meaning he'll have to break camp with the big league club next season in order to remain in the Reds organization.

The Reds already parted ways with Ian Gibaut, and by inking Thompson to a one-year deal, Cincinnati's bullpen makeover has begun. A few more moves should be expected in the coming days, but they're more likely to be subtractions rather than additions.