Rising minor leaguer's contract twist could back Reds front office into a corner

Cincinnati Reds minor-league pitcher Joe La Sorsa has put the front office in a bit of a pickle. According to MLB insider Ari Alexander, La Sorsa plans to exercise his upward mobility clause on June 1. Once he does that, Nick Kall and Reds front office must decide whether or not to add La Sorsa to the 40-man roster or risk losing him to another organization.

For those unaware, an upward mobility allows a player like La Sorsa to seek a spot on another team's 40-man roster. Think of it like your typical DFA, except this time it's the player, not the team, initiating the transaction. Once La Sorsa exercises that clause, opposing teams have 24 hours to submit a claim.

If La Sorsa goes unclaimed, he returns to Triple-A. The Reds could always decide to add La Sorsa to their own 40-man roster, and thus shut down any chance of losing him to another organization. After trading Alexis Diaz this past week, Cincinnati has an open spot on their 40-man roster.

Joe La Sorsa's contract twist could back Reds front office into a corner

La Sorsa has pitched well enough in minors to secure a spot on the Reds 40-man roster, though there are definitely reasons to hesitate pulling the trigger on a such a move. The left-hander is 2-1 in 21 appearances out of the Louisville Bats bullpen and has a 3.92 ERA. His strikeout numbers, however, are not good and he has just as many free passes as punch outs (14). Toss in a 5.03 FIP and you can understand why Krall and Co. might have cause to pause.

Furthermore, these 40-man roster spots are valuable. Cincinnati already has to make a decision about veteran starter Wade Miley who can trigger his opt-out clause on June 1. With Rhett Lowder's oblique injury severe enough to warrant a move to the 60-day IL, it's possible that Cincinnati could add both La Sorsa and Miley to the 40-man roster on Sunday without too much fuss.

La Sorsa has minor-league options remaining, meaning Cincinnati would be able to select his contract from Triple-A and option him back to the Bats' roster. Miley, however, would have to be added to the Reds' active roster, and without a vacancy in the starting rotation, that could be a problem.

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