Cincinnati Makes a Splash in Free Agency
Photo by Jeff Dean of Getty Images
Following a surprising 82-win season, the Cincinnati Reds knew they had some spending to do this offseason, to fully compete in 2024. The emergence of rookie talent in Cincinnati has energized the fan base and given the front office a reason to spend.
The 2023 Reds had the offense to make a push for the playoffs, however, the pitching just didn’t carry its weight down the stretch of the season. Coming into the offseason, the Reds were linked to various trades involving pitchers, including Tyler Glasnow of the Tampa Bay Rays, Dylan Cease of the Chicago White Sox, and Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians.
Earlier this week, Jeff Passan reported that Reds owner, Bob Castellini intends to spend money this offseason, to put the team in a spot to win in 2024. Passan went on to say, “Giving up controllable talent for one-year rentals isn’t necessarily the Reds style.”
Passan also reported that Cincinnati was in talks with Aaron Nola, who recently resigned with the Philadelphia Phillies on a seven year 172-million-dollar contract. Cincy also floated the idea of reuniting with Sonny Gray, who posted his best season in the last nine years, with a 2.79 ERA with the Minnesota Twins. Gray ended up signing a three-year 75-million-dollar contract with division rival St. Louis.
Sonny Gray with the Reds in 2020. Photo from Andy Lyons of Getty Images.
On Wednesday, November 29, 2023, the Cincinnati Reds made their first splash in the 2023 free agency market. Signing relief pitchers, Emilio Pagan, and Nick Martinez.
Pagan, a right-handed relief pitcher who spent the last two season with the Minnesota Twins had the second-best year of his career in 2023. Pagan threw 69.1 innings in 2023, posting a 2.99 ERA, with 65 strikeouts and one save. Pagan provides Cincinnati with much needed bullpen depth. Cincinnati signed Pagan to a two-year 16-million-dollar contract.
New Reds reliever, Emilio Pagan. Photo from Associated Press
Around 2 A.M. Thursday morning, news broke that Cincinnati had made another signing, this time for Nick Martinez. Martinez is described as a swingman, meaning that he can start games for the Redlegs, or come out of the bullpen.
Spending 2023 with the San Diego Padres, Martinez threw 110.1 innings, appearing in 63 games, with nine starts. Martinez’s top pitch is a high change up, and he produces many ground balls. He posted a 3.43 ERA, with 106 strikeouts, and one save in 2023. Martinez and the Reds agreed to a two-year 26-million-dollar deal.
The Reds have made some solid signings to bolster their bullpen, but the rotation could still use some help, which Cincinnati will likely look to add through trades. Cincinnati has been linked to deals centered around Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow, White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease, and Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber.
New Reds pitcher, Nick Martinez. Photo by Brynn Anderson of the Associated Press.
Glasnow posted a 3.53 ERA in 2023, with 162 strikeouts. Cease had a 4.58 ERA, with 214 strikeouts, while Bieber posted a 3.80 ERA with 107 strikeouts. Glasnow and Bieber would be best fits for a competitive Reds team, but adding any three of these pitchers strengthens their rotation greatly and allows them to chase a deep postseason run in 2024.
The Castellini’s have notoriously been unwilling spend money for most of their ownership, but if there’s any doubt about their intention to win, it is now gone. Spending 42-million-dollars in one day, to improve the bullpen shows that this front office is able and willing to attain the talent to win a championship for this city.