Cincinnati Reds Add Veteran Arm To Bullpen
The Cincinnati Reds will sign Justin Wilson to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. The deal comes with $1 million worth of incentives and likely cements Wilson’s spot in the Opening Day bullpen. The veteran lefty signed a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers this winter but opted out earlier this week.
Cincinnati Reds Sign Justin Wilson to Major League Deal
In 2022, Wilson’s second season with the Reds, he made his last major league appearance. He pitched in just five games, though, and missed the remainder of the season due to Tommy John surgery. In an attempt to get Wilson healthy for the second half of 2023, the Milwaukee Brewers signed him following the season.
Wilson hurt his lat while warming up in the bullpen before the Brewers activated him in July. He lost his season before he could play in a major league game due to the injury. Wilson will make his first MLB appearance since April 2022, assuming he stays healthy.
Wilson pitched well in spring, but he did not make the Dodgers pitching staff. In four innings across four games, Wilson gave up two runs and two walks while striking out nine batters. Even if Wilson’s performance throughout spring training shouldn’t be taken too seriously, it does indicate the 36-year-old’s health.
Wilson was the subject of interest from several teams during his 48 hours on the open market, according to Murray. Cincinnati needed an extra arm more than ever after fellow southpaw Alex Young’s injury setback.
Reds Lefty Depth in Bullpen
Young didn’t play until Wednesday because of back discomfort at the start of Spring Training. But he failed to record an out while giving up four hits and six runs. Worse, Young injured his back during the outing and will likely be sidelined for several weeks.
Wilson was added by the Reds to fill in for Young on a cheap contract, but they won’t rely just on him to be the team’s lone lefty in the bullpen. Brent Suter, who just finished an outstanding season with the Colorado Rockies, is the team’s primary healthy lefty reliever.
Suter was supposed to be used by Cincinnati as a multi-inning relief, while Young and Sam Moll would pitch more quickly. Like Young, though, Moll has been sidelined by injuries throughout spring and is predicted to start the season on the disabled list. Moll hasn’t played in a Cactus League game this spring due to shoulder pain.
Despite his previous injuries, Wilson should give the Reds valuable innings until Young and/or Moll get well. With the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and Reds, Wilson has pitched in eleven Major League Baseball seasons. With 18 saves and 132 holds over 467 innings, he has a career 3.42 ERA.
Despite his lack of fame as a closer, Wilson played a significant role in numerous strong bullpens on teams that were in contention. Wilson had 291 innings pitched, a 3.40 ERA, a 125 ERA+, and a 10.7 K/9 throughout his prime years (2015–2020). The Reds signed Wilson with the expectation of quality innings from a reliable arm, even though they won’t be expecting him to perform at his best.