The Reds have announced they’ve re-signed right-handed reliever Hunter Strickland to a minor league deal.
Strickland, 34, was a mainstay in their bullpen last year, pitching to a 4.91 ERA across 62 1/3 innings. Those numbers came with a 21.1% strikeout rate and an 11.6% walk rate. While his strikeout numbers were pretty much in line with his career averages, that walk rate was the highest he’d posted in his nine-year big league career.
Originally drafted in the 18th round of the 2007 draft by the Red Sox, Strickland would eventually make his big league debut for the Giants during the 2014 season, pitching in the World Series that year as the Giants were crowned champions. He was a really effective member of San Francisco bullpen between 2014-17, working to a 2.64 ERA over 180 2/3 innings.
He experienced some decline in 2018 and was non-tendered by the Giants following that season. Since then, he’s bounced around the league a bit, appearing for the Mariners, Nationals, Mets, Rays, Brewers, Angels and Reds since 2019, and compiling a 4.18 ERA over 148 2/3 innings in that time.
thomyorke'sbag
angels legend
Cincyfan85
LOL what!? He was AWFUL!
Larry Brown's crank
agree, Cincy…..he was a gas can. and for whatever reason they kept running him out there as a closer. ugggggh. I hope he gets lit in spring games
Old York
I want to see more Harper-Strickland battles. That’s what makes baseball exciting, not pitch clocks and ghost (zombie?) runners like little league baseball.
Tiger22matt
The homerun machine is back to give up more poorly timed runs.
This one belongs to the Reds
Agree with the gasoline on the for comment. Dude gave up too many taters in that ballpark.
I’d get every Winker baller in the league to pitch in GAPB in relief, but that’s just me. Too many teams in love with the high velocity strikeout guys even though it costs them too much in the bandboxes.
grandsalametime
Jeez, no mention of the infamous Strickland-Bryce Harper fight that cost him his roster spot with the Giants. The Giants dropped him like a hot potato after that. He was a talented pitcher but his anger issues got the best of him.
youtube.com/watch?v=fAWLLfAKLKo
crazybaseballgal
You mean Hunter “I don’t have anger issues” man-child Strickland? Get in verbal scuffles, punch lockers and break your hands, throw at batters because they homered off of you years before….
gfan
“Oh no here comes homer boy”
Is what the wife would say whenever the Giants got him up in the pen. Good gas but no movement.
raulp
Just unbelievable!!!
NoKluReds
WTF!!! He was quite possibly the worst player on a god-awful pitching staff. In almost every game I saw him pitch he gave up runs in high leverage situations. Do they just need someone to use in spring training games? Did Krall lose a drinking game bet? Strickland, if he sticks with the team, will not be the reason the Reds miss the playoffs but he will cost them a number of games. Wake me when the rebuild is over.
This one belongs to the Reds
No one sat on his hand more than Nick Krall this offseason while teams rebuilt their bullpens, most of them after the first of the year.
joeshmoe11
Minor League deal
Tiger22matt
Who cares hes trash
diehardfantd
Looks like the Reds bullpen will be awful again this year . Would rather run a yo get guy out there to give him a chance instead retreads like Strickland
diehardfantd
Looks like the Reds bullpen will be awful again this year . Would rather run a yo get guy out there to give him a chance instead ineffective pitchers like Strickland
This one belongs to the Reds
Luca Braci says Nick Krall sleeps with the fishes.
Fire Krall
why????