When Cincinnati Reds general manager Nick Krall discussed the state of the roster heading into Spring Training, he noted that the 2019 Reds added two impactful players on Minor League contracts in José Iglesias and Derek Dietrich right before starting camp in Goodyear, Arizona.
This year, Cincinnati may have made two similar last-minute Minor League signings who can contribute in 2021.
Cincinnati Reds broadcast changes:Jeff Piecoro, Doug Flynn and Danny Graves won't be back on
Cincinnati Reds spring training questions:Check out all the questions our staff answered
On Tuesday, the Reds signed veteran relief pitcher Cam Bedrosian to a Minor League deal with an invitation to big league camp. On Thursday, Cincinnati added outfielder Tyler Naquin to a similar contract.
“There’s no guarantees, but based on what (Bedrosian and Naquin) have been able to do in their careers, there’s a reason we’re trying to sign them,” manager David Bell said. “And not only do we think they have a really great opportunity to make the team, we believe they can contribute to our team.”
Bedrosian, 29, had a 2.45 ERA in just 11 innings in 2020 with the Los Angeles Angels. Between 2015 and 2019, he had a 3.55 ERA out of the bullpen and averaged 63 innings per season as a consistent relief pitcher in Los Angeles.
Naquin, 29, had spent his entire career with the Cleveland Indians. Over the last five seasons, he has been a consistent starter in center field and right field, and he finished in third place in the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year voting.
Naquin has a career .274 batting average, while he only hit .218 last season with the Indians. Naquin has a .281 career batting average and .783 career OPS against right-handed pitchers, and he’ll be an option as a left-handed hitting outfielder.
“They had options,” Bell said. “I’m thrilled that they chose our situation. They take a lot into consideration: playing time, opportunities and the culture here and the group of players that we have. Really happy that they chose our situation.”
Tejay Antone is ready for anything
This offseason, Reds pitcher Tejay Antone didn’t want to make his fastball faster. He wanted it to spin more.
The new fastball, in addition to a revamped slider that he called “game-changing,” were Antone’s main adjustments heading into his second MLB season.
“I prepared as a starter,” Antone said. “There is an opportunity for me to have that job and I’m going to do my best to take it. I do also understand that if I don’t get that role, that I will probably be a reliever and I will probably throughout the season be in that hybrid role. And I’m totally fine with that.”
Last year, Antone entered training camp with an outside shot at making the roster. After he was one of the most productive rookie pitchers in the National League in 2020 as both a starting pitcher and a reliever, he’s confident heading into 2021.
Last season, Antone made 13 appearances and started four games, finishing the season with a 2.80 ERA. Antone says he has prepared to be a starting pitcher. If he doesn’t claim that fifth starting spot, he’ll play a big role in the bullpen.
“We saw him come out of the bullpen more than we did as a starter (in 2020), but he did well in both roles,” Bell said. “We’ll see. He’s one of those guys that might fall into the category of building him up and giving us the most options, making sure he’s at least prepared to pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen.”
Minor League schedule receives major changes
Minor League baseball made significant changes to its schedule this season, including more regional games and reduced travel.
The 142-game Triple-A regular season begins April 6, and the Reds affiliate Louisville Bats open with a five-game homestand against Iowa. The Double-A and Single-A levels will have a 120-game regular season that begins on May 4.
“This schedule represents a big step forward for our player development system,” said Morgan Sword, MLB’s Executive Vice President, Baseball Operations. “Under this new alignment and format, travel will be significantly reduced for players and coaches, with an increase in off days. We hope that these new health and wellness improvements will help players in their path to the big leagues.”
Source link
