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Reds Option Graham Ashcraft

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The Reds announced Thursday that they’ve optioned struggling right-hander Graham Ashcraft to Triple-A Louisville. His spot on the roster will go to reliever Emilio Pagan, who’s being reinstated after a stint on the 15-day injured list due to a triceps injury.

It’s the first time Ashcraft, 26, has been optioned to the minors since May 2022, when he was sent down a day after making his MLB debut in a spot start. The 2019 sixth-rounder started 19 games for Cincinnati in 2022 and another 26 games last year. Were it not for a calf strain and a stress reaction in his foot, he’d have been ticketed for a full slate of starts in the Reds’ rotation last season.

Though Ashcraft has struggled with consistency, he’s at times looked the part of a viable third or fourth starter in the Reds’ rotation. He opened last season with a dominant 2.00 ERA in his first six trips to the hill, and while his K-BB profile didn’t support quite that level of success, he was showing huge ground-ball tendencies and finding success with a new cutter and revamped slider that looked far better than his 2022 version of the same pitch.

A disastrous stretch followed, wherein Ashcraft was shellacked for 47 earned runs in 33 innings over his next eight starts — including outings that saw him yield ten, eight, seven (twice) and six earned runs. Lost as he looked in that span of six weeks, Ashcraft then rattled off a dozen starts of 2.58 ERA ball to close out his season, averaging 6 1/3 innings per start along the way and never allowing more than three runs in any one start. The big righty still had a subpar strikeout rate in that excellent run but offset that flaw with improved command and strong ground-ball tendencies. It was a promising finish to a season — one that seemed to speak louder than his ultimately pedestrian 4.76 ERA.

The 2024 season has again been a struggle, though not to the extent of last year’s eye-popping slump. Ashcraft currently sports a 5.05 ERA with a well below-average 17.4% strikeout rate but a strong 7.5% walk rate and encouraging 49% ground-ball rate. However, after averaging more than six innings per start down the stretch last year and pitching into the sixth inning in five of his first six starts this season, Ashcraft has struggled with efficiency of late. He’s pitched into the sixth just once in his past six trips to the hill. Though he’s averaging less than 4 2/3 frames per outing in this stretch, he’s done so while requiring an average of 89 pitches along the way.

Unsurprisingly, Ashcraft’s results have suffered. He posted a 3.63 ERA through his first six starts but has turned in a 6.83 mark since that time. His walk rate has spiked from 6.1% to 9%, and his strikeout rate has fallen from 20.1% to 14.3%. He’ll now try to get back on track in Louisville.

From a service time vantage point, Ashcraft’s demotion isn’t likely to alter his path to free agency. He entered the season with 1.136 years of MLB service, meaning he only needed another 36 days to reach two years and stay on track for free agency in the 2028-29 offseason. That said, he was on track to be a very likely Super Two player, making him arbitration-eligible four times rather than the standard three, and that’ll become unlikely if his stay in Louisville lasts more than a couple weeks.

The Reds will continue to deploy a rotation including Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott and Frankie Montas. Veteran swingman Nick Martinez, signed to a two-year deal, could step back into the rotation in place of Ashcraft for the time being. Triple-A starters Connor Phillips, Christian Roa, Lyon Richardson and Carson Spiers are all on the 40-man roster and could represent alternative options, but Spiers is the only one of that group who’s pitched particularly well in Louisville this season. He’s made four long relief appearances for Cincinnati already this season, totaling 13 2/3 innings of 3.29 ERA ball. Lefty Brandon Williamson has yet to pitch in the big leagues this season due to a shoulder injury but is another candidate, as he’s made four minor league rehab starts and is nearing the end of his rehab window.

Reds Select Blake Dunn

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The Reds announced that they have selected the contract of outfielder Blake Dunn from Triple-A Louisville, with infielder/outfielder Nick Martini optioned in a corresponding move. They already had an open 40-man spot after first baseman Mike Ford was designated for assignment last week.

Dunn, 25, was a 15th-round selection of the Reds in 2021 and collected a bonus of $125K. As one would expect with that modest draft selection and bonus, Dunn wasn’t considered one of the club’s top prospects, but he has improved his stock with some strong play lately.

Last year, he got into 124 minor league contests, split between High-A and Double-A. He drew a walk in 11.1% of his 559 plate appearances and also hit 23 home runs. He finished the year with a combined batting line of .312/.425/.522 and a 158 wRC+ while also stealing 54 bases and playing all three outfield positions.

Coming into 2024, Baseball America ranked him the #14 prospect in the organization while FanGraphs had him at #15, though he hasn’t carried over his tremendous offensive showing from 2023. The Reds bumped him to Triple-A and his walk rate is up to 13.3% but his strikeouts are also up to a 30.6% rate, a big jump from last year’s 23.3% clip. He’s slashing .223/.348/.378 on the year overall, production which translates to a 94 wRC+.

Even with the bat seeming to take a bit of a step back, Dunn could still be useful with his speed and defense. He’s swiped another nine bags already this year without being caught. The Reds have a regular outfield rotation consisting of left-handed hitters TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, Jacob Hurtubise and Will Benson, as well as the right-handed hitting Stuart Fairchild.

Since Dunn is also a righty, perhaps he will take some playing time in the short side of a platoon and shield some of those lefty swingers from tough southpaws, while also doing some pinch running and taking some late-game defensive replacement duties. He’s hitting .250/.298/.558 against lefties so far this year, compared to just .208/.372/.281 without the platoon advantage. Dunn will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.

Mike Ford Elects Free Agency

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First baseman Mike Ford will elect free agency rather than accept an outright assignment with the Reds, per Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer on X. Ford was designated for assignment earlier this week but evidently passed through waivers unclaimed.

The 31-year-old is capable of being a potent slugger but has struggled with consistency, both this year and in his career. He has had an on-and-off relationship with the Reds this year, having signed two minor league deals that both ended in him opting out, as well as a major league deal that followed.

Around those transactions, he put up a massive .455/.486/.727 line in Spring Training and hit .297/.381/.538 in Triple-A. Unfortunately, once in the big leagues, his production fell to .150/.177/.233 in 62 plate appearances. A tiny .182 batting average on balls in play surely weighed that line down, but the Reds cut him from the roster regardless.

Ford has struggled in the big leagues before but had his best showing in the majors just last year. He got into 84 games with the Mariners and hit 16 home runs. His 32.3% strikeout rate was on the high side but he drew walks at a solid 9.6% rate and slashed .228/.323/.475 for a 123 wRC+.

Despite that impressive performance, the M’s non-tendered Ford, which led to his transactions dance with the Reds this year. His most recent big league showing wasn’t great but, as mentioned, a lot of that appears to have been BABIP-based. He was great in the bigs last year and also looked great this year in Spring Training and at Triple-A.

He’ll now take some time to suss out opportunities but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him and the Reds reconnect in a few days, as they’ve already done a handful of times so far this year.

Reds Outright Brett Kennedy

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The Reds have sent right-hander Brett Kennedy outright to Triple-A Louisville, per the transaction log at MLB.com. Cincinnati designated him for assignment on Tuesday when they reinstated Alex Young from the 60-day injured list.

Kennedy only spent a few days on the 40-man roster and didn’t get into an MLB game. He made five appearances for the Reds a year ago, allowing 13 runs over 18 innings. Cincinnati outrighted him off their roster at season’s end but brought him back on a minor league deal during the winter. He has spent the bulk of the year working from the Louisville rotation. The 29-year-old has tossed 40 2/3 innings over eight starts, struggling to a 6.86 ERA in an offensive Triple-A setting.

While Kennedy has never missed many bats, he’s not afraid to attack the zone. He has walked fewer than 5% of opposing hitters this year and has a 7.9% walk percentage over parts of five Triple-A campaigns. The Reds have kept him around as a strike-throwing depth option who can make a spot start or work in long relief. Kennedy has the right to elect free agency because he has been outrighted a few times in his career, but it seems likely he’ll head back to Louisville in hopes of getting another MLB look during the year.

Reds Designate Mike Ford For Assignment

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The Reds announced Wednesday that they’ve reinstated outfielder TJ Friedl from the injured list and opened a spot on the roster by designating first baseman/designated hitter Mike Ford for assignment.

Ford, 31, signed a pair of minor league deals with the Reds and opted out both times, only to eventually return on a big league deal earlier this month. The lefty slugger demolished spring training opposition at a .455/.486/.727 pace and hit .297/.381/.538 through 105 Triple-A plate appearances to begin the season. That eye-popping production didn’t carry over into the big leagues, however. In 62 plate appearances for Cincinnati, Ford hit .150/.177/.233 with a homer and a triple.

Ford’s 24.2% strikeout rate with the Reds is only a bit higher than average, but he’s hit too many grounders (44.4%) for a lumbering slugger and is making hard contact well below both his career norms and the league-average levels. He’s averaged 86.4 mph off the bat and put just one-third of his batted balls in play at 95 mph or greater.

While Ford has struggled considerably in his small sample of playing in Cincinnati, he’s just months removed from providing the 2023 Mariners with plenty of thump in the season’s second half. Ford tallied 251 plate appearances in Seattle last season, and although his 32.3% strikeout rate was an eyesore, it was an acceptable trade-off for his .228/.323/.475 batting line and 16 round-trippers in his 84 games with the club.

With a career .205/.298/.402 batting line, Ford is something of a prototypical three-true-outcomes player. He’s walked at a 10% clip, fanned in 26% of his career plate appearances and also homered in just shy of 5% of his MLB plate appearances. He has clear power and some plate discipline but at times gets too passive in the box. Ford’s contact rate on pitches in the strike zone is right in line with the big league average, and he’s only slightly below-average when swinging at balls off the plate. However, he’s swung at just 39.9% of the pitches he’s seen in his career, which checks in quite a bit shy of the league average (which typically clocks in around 47% in any given season).

The Reds will have a week to trade Ford, attempt to pass him through outright waivers or release him. If Ford passes through outright waivers unclaimed, he’ll be able to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency.

Reds Designate Brett Kennedy For Assignment

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The Reds announced today that they have activated left-hander Alex Young from the 60-day injured list, with right-hander Brett Kennedy designated for assignment as the corresponding move.

Kennedy, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Reds in the offseason. He was just selected to the roster last week but he didn’t get into a game in the interim. The club likely wanted Kennedy around in case someone was needed to throw multiple innings of long relief. But in four of the past five games, Cincinnati starters threw at least 5 1/3 innings. The one exception was Nick Martinez, who tossed 4 1/3 behind opener Brent Suter while Carson Spiers pitched another 3 1/3 in relief.

Prior to having his contract selected, Kennedy made eight Triple-A starts with a 6.86 earned run average in 40 2/3 innings. His 18.9% strikeout rate in that span was a bit below average but he limited walks to just a 4.7% clip.

The Reds will now have one week to trade him or pass him through waivers. He has a previous career outright, meaning he would have the right to reject another such assignment in favor of electing free agency. His major league experience consists of 26 2/3 innings with the 2018 Padres and another 18 frames with the 2023 Reds. In the 44 2/3 combined innings, he has a 6.65 ERA, 12.8% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate.

Young, 30, started the year on the IL due to a back issue. He had a solid season in Cincinnati last year, posting a 3.86 ERA over 63 appearances. He struck out 21.2% of batters faced, gave out walks at an 8.5% clip and got grounders on 48.8% of balls in play. That included some leverage work, as he picked up one save and 13 holds. He’ll give the club a third lefty in the bullpen alongside Suter and Sam Moll.

Reds Sign Brandon Leibrandt To Minor League Deal

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The Reds have signed left-hander Brandon Leibrandt to a minor league deal, according to the transaction tracker on Leibrandt’s MLB.com player page.

Leibrandt, 31, was a sixth-round pick by the Phillies in the 2014 draft who made his way through the minor leagues with the club to reach Triple-A during the 2018 season, setting him up for a potential big league debut in 2019. Unfortunately, those plans were scuttled when the southpaw missed the entire campaign due to injury, prompting the Phillies to release him prior to the 2020 season. Leibrandt was picked up by the Marlins in July 2020 and made his big league debut the following month.

Leibrandt would go on to pitch nine innings for the Marlins during the shortened 2020 campaign across five appearances. His results were solid enough as he allowed just two runs in that time, but his peripherals told a different story. Leibrandt walked a whopping 19.4% of batters faced during his brief stint in the big leagues while striking out just 8.3%, leaving him with a lackluster 4.86 FIP during his time in the big leagues. He has not appeared in the major since.

The southpaw was outrighted off the club’s roster following the 2020 campaign but remained in the organization during the 2021 season, pitching at the Double- and Triple-A levels to a combined 5.68 ERA in 21 appearances, including 18 starts. Leibrandt remained in affiliated ball for the 2022 season on a minor league pact with the Cubs before heading to the independent Atlantic League to pitch for the High Point Rockers, with whom he’s remained since. In 80 innings with the Rockers, Leibrandt has impressed with a 2.70 ERA and a 23.8% strikeout rate, while walking just 8% of batters faced.

That performance has clearly intrigued the Reds, who are now bringing Leibrandt into the organizational fold as upper-level pitching depth. The club is fairly deep in upper-level pitching options on the rotation side of things with the likes of Connor Phillips and Lyon Richardson available for spot starts as needed, although it’s possible Leibrandt could offer the Reds a multi-inning arm from the left side out of the bullpen if his strong results in the Atlantic League can translate to affiliated ball.

Jeimer Candelario Scratched Due To Neck Stiffness

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  • The Reds scratched infielder Jeimer Candelario from their lineup against the Dodgers earlier today due to neck stiffness, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Candelario, 30, struggled in the early going of his first season with the Reds but has begun to heat up in recent weeks with a .279/.343/.492 slash line in his last sixteen games. It’s not yet clear if Candelario will be out for longer than today’s game, but even a brief absence would be a brutal blow for a Cincinnati club that is already without Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and TJ Friedl due to injuries as well as Noelvi Marte due to a PED suspension. Santiago Espinal and Spencer Steer are starting tonight at third and first base, respectively, and figure to handle the infield corners for as long as Candelario is out of action.

Reds Outright Bubba Thompson

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TODAY: Thompson has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Double-A Chattanooga, the Reds announced.

MAY 23: The Reds announced Thursday that they’ve designated outfielder Bubba Thompson for assignment in order to create 40-man roster space for righty Brett Kennedy, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Louisville. Kennedy will take the 26-man roster spot of reliever Emilio Pagan, who’s being placed on the 15-day injured list due to tightness in his right triceps.

Thompson appeared in 17 games for the Reds but received only 18 plate appearances. He’s among the fastest players in MLB — if not the fastest — but has long had struggles at the plate, thus relegating him to a defensive replacement and pinch-running role. He went 2-for-18 with a double and five steals in his small handful of plate appearances but also punched out a glaring 11 times (61.1%).

A first-round pick by the Rangers in 2017, Thompson was a multi-sport star and legitimate football prospect as well prior to his selection and the signing of a $2.1MM bonus out of the draft. He’s now seen time in parts of three MLB seasons but is just a .232/.273/.295 hitter (58 wRC+) with a huge 32% strikeout rate and just a 4.2% walk rate. Thompson’s speed is off the charts, and he showed a bit of pop with 16 minor league big flies in 2021 and another 14 homers in 2022.

However, Thompson has still struggled to refine his approach at the plate even in the upper minors. He’d been playing with Cincinnati’s Double-A affiliate at the time of his DFA and, in 37 trips to the plate, carried a .200/.243/.314 slash. Thompson does have a .284/.347/.440 output in 145 Triple-A games, but that comes out to around league-average when adjusting for the electric run-scoring environment in the Pacific Coast League.

This is Thompson’s fifth DFA since last August. He’s yet to make it through waivers. The Royals claimed him off waivers from Texas but subsequently lost him to the Reds in October. When Cincinnati designated Thompson for assignment in late December, the Yankees put in a claim — only to DFA him again just weeks later. The Twins claimed Thompson but, like the Yankees, designated him for assignment after only a couple weeks, at which point the Reds claimed him a second time. He’s been with Cincinnati since that point but will now be traded or placed on waivers yet again within the next five days.

Kennedy, 29, has pitched in parts of two big league seasons: 2018 with the Padres and 2023 with the Reds. He’ll now get a second stint in Cincinnati and hope for better results than he turned in last year, when he was tagged for 13 runs in 18 innings. Kennedy has spent the 2024 season in the Louisville rotation but been roughed up for a 6.86 ERA in 40 2/3 frames (eight starts). His 18.9% strikeout is below-average by around five percentage points, but his excellent 4.7% walk rate is nearly half the league-average rate.

Kennedy will add some length to the bullpen in place of Pagan, who inked a surprising two-year, $16MM deal with the Reds this offseason — one that allows him the opportunity to opt out at season’s end. It was a surprise fit, given Cincinnati’s homer-happy stadium and Pagan’s longstanding penchant for big home run totals but also big strikeout rates. True to form, Pagan has already served up four taters in 19 1/3 innings of work (1.86 HR/9) but also punched out a substantial 30.5% of his opponents. He’s sitting on a 4.19 ERA to begin his Reds tenure, but his season will now be paused for at least the next couple weeks as he lets that ailing triceps mend.

The Reds’ Surprisingly Tepid Offense

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The Reds went into the year with plenty of optimism. Their young core had surprisingly threatened for a playoff berth and finished above .500 in 2023. The front office followed up by committing more than $100MM -- including nearly $62MM in 2024 salaries alone -- on the free agent market. Cincinnati was a trendy choice to take what looked like a wide open NL Central (and would've been my pick to win the division before a couple key Spring Training injuries).

While it's too soon to write them off entirely, the Reds haven't come close to the heightened expectations through the season's first two months. They're eight games below .500 and above only the Marlins and Rockies in the National League. A lineup loaded with talented young hitters should drive this team to success. Thanks to a combination of injury and a handful of key players underperforming, they've instead had one of the worst offenses in the majors.

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