The Reds announced this afternoon that the club has selected the contract of right-hander Alan Busenitz. To make room for Busenitz on the active roster, the club optioned fellow right-hander Carson Spiers.
Busenitz made his debut with the Twins in 2017 and returned to the club in 2018 before heading overseas to pitch in Japan, where he stayed for four seasons, racking up a 2.60 ERA and 2.91 FIP in 190 NPB appearances. That performance caught the attention of the Reds, who signed Busenitz to a minor league deal back in December. Busenitz made five appearances for the Reds, pitching to a 3.60 ERA and 2.65 FIP in five innings of work, before being designated for assignment and outrighted to the minors in early September. He’s struggled a bit at the Triple-A level this year, with a 4.94 ERA in 51 innings, but now has returned to the roster, where he’ll have a chance to play for the Reds during the final game of the club’s 2023 season.
Spiers, 25, made his big league debut for the Reds earlier this season. The rookie struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, allowing twelve runs (10 earned) on seven walks and 18 hits across 13 innings of work while striking out 12. Spiers had more success in the minor leagues, spending most of the season at the Double-A level and combining for a 3.60 ERA in 85 innings of work between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Should Spiers stick around on the club’s 40-man roster through the offseason, he figures to compete for a spot in the big league bullpen in 2024 come Spring Training.
33 year old 25th rounder.
Both Reds and Cubs slightly exceeded expectations.
Hope Reds keep all of their young position players, India, Steer, CES, McClain, Noelvi and Elly. That’s a full infield, a DH, and a LF. Open to trading Cam Collier for a rotation piece.
Agree that both the Reds and Cubs exceeded expectations, but I wouldn’t use the word slightly for the Reds.
Keep all the youngsters named, including Collier (unless a bargain presents itself). The rotation for next year could be eight deep, so I’m only adding a compelling starter. Add to the ball pen in the meantime.
Agree that both the Reds and Cubs exceeded expectations, but I wouldn’t use the word slightly for the Reds.
Keep all the youngsters named, including Collier (unless a bargain presents itself). The rotation for next year could be eight deep, so I’m only adding a compelling starter. Add to the back of the bullpen in the meantime.
Keep India,Steer, Ty Steve, Friedl, Fraley, Mclain, Benson, EDLC, Marte, and CES. Only 1 of Barerro, Senzel. Add Maile or another catcher. That’s 12. Go with Hurtubise or Blake Dunn.That’s all folks. On the pitching side, go big. I say sign Yamamoto, then Hicks or Hader. Finally get Lorenzen or Mahle. Reds can afford that.
Or Sonny Gray. Add a better setup dude or dudes to Diaz, agree there. Definitely need to upgrade pitching with the offseason activities.
Position players, agree, they are mostly good there, except I wouldn’t keep either Senzel or Barrero. I would definitely hang onto Maile.
With all that, next year should be pretty exciting.
@manny
I’ve got to admire someone who was a 25 rounder, out of MLB for 5 years and he is still living the dream.
I don’t think I’d have the same drive.
The Reds have been a fun watch since the ASB….
Soared as a Golden Eagle. In 2019 and 2020, he was an effective NPB reliever. Less so in 2021, and then good again in 2022.
@Manny
My bad. Thought he was grinding his teeth in AAA…
Nice use of ‘soaring as an Eagle!”
“But as the eagle leaves the nest, it’s got so far to go“ Robert Plant
He’s the dumpster dive kind of guy your new operations head loves. Which is why they missed the playoffs when they were 10 games over .500 at the break because of those kids’ efforts.
They will remember at contract renewal time that the front office didn’t have their back.
I’ve been a Reds fan for almost 50 years and every post you make gets more ridiculous. That contract time will be 4-5 yrs from now. What happened at this year’s deadline won’t matter. What the front office does in the next few offseasons will though so I’ll withhold judgment. Every team takes fliers on relief pitchers every offseason. As a Reds fan I am glad they didn’t trade any too prospects at deadline. The move they made was a shrewd one and Moll is controllable for next year. I don’t get your hatred of Krall. He’s done a remarkable job. He underestimated how quickly the kids would be up and performing well. He was not alone. This will be a big offseason for all involved.
If you have been a Reds fan for that long, as I have incidentally, I find it hard to believe you accept mediocrity as many of the so-called fans do.
The lack of starting pitching was not addressed last offseason. It was not addressed during the season. It was not addressed at the deadline. We saw the last two months how that also affected an overworked bullpen that became ineffective down the stretch.
Meanwhile, a team ten games over .500 at the break and a shoo in for the playoffs missed them entirely. That’s a failure in anyone’s book. If it was New York or Boston, for example, the fans and press would have destroyed the front office. There are no guarantees a special season like this will be repeated. Other front offices, especially those eith a lot more resources, won’t be standing still.
I have said before, scouting and player development, they have done a great job. Bringing in established major league talent to fill holes on the roster, not so much.
Agreed that this offseason will be a big one for all involved, including players like EDLC and Greene that have some work to do to improve their game. They have so much talent and it will be great to see it realized to its full potential.
Simply not true that the Reds didn’t address starting pitching last offseason. They didn’t spend what you consider enough to call it addressing sp, but a small market team coming off a 100 loss season cannot afford to spend like a drunken sailor in that situation. The St’ Louis Cardinals chose Luke Weaver as the 27th overall pick in 2014. He has 4 ML caliber offerings and was a smart choice to give a sp job to- especially at the price the Reds paid. Didn’t work out, but there’s little doubt that Weaver will get more ML opportunities going forward. For the nth time, Krall’s rebuild is nonnegotiable and an opportunity for a wildcard slot this season was not worthy of overpaying for (at best) lackluster starting pitching at an inflated price. 2023 was a transition year and most likely the first half of 2024 will be as well.
They could have spent 20 million on a guy and still had a cheap payroll. A 83 million payroll was a big middle finger to the fans coming into the year.
There seems to be a lot of assumptions here that an overpay for a decent starter (Cueto signed for 8 million) or an overpay for a starter at the deadline (many were had for one prospect or two mid tier prosspects) was needed. Simply not true, especially with a team that has more middle infield prospects throughout the minors than Carter has peanuts.
Anyone who thinks retreads like Luke Weaver was addressing starting pitching, especially in GABP, has a lot to learn about pitching. There was a reason he was given up on despite where he was drafted, and he pretty much showed that once again in a Reds uniform.
2023 was a sort it out year. Mission accomplished. I would’ve liked a better vet SP last offseason than Weaver but I get letting the young SP get innings as a priority in a sorting year. Once the season starts that ship has sailed. I’m glad they didn’t overpay at the deadline for a mid rotation starter. This wasn’t the year to do that.
I agree no guarantees but I like that they stayed the course and kept building. They need to sign a SP, maybe two, a RH hitting OF and 3 dependable bullpen arms. If they cheap out this winter then I’d agree the players will not forget that.
As far as accepting mediocrity, that is an upgrade on the majority of this century. I get your point though. I think they’re heading in the right direction and the future is bright.