GOODYEAR, Ariz. – A familiar face returned to Cincinnati Reds camp Saturday when reliever Hunter Strickland agreed to a minor league contract.
Strickland led the Reds in appearances (66) and games finished (35) last year, and he was the only pitcher who was on the active 26-man roster all year without requiring a stint on the injured list. The results were mixed with a 4.91 ERA in 62 1/3 innings, struggling in the closer’s role with four blown saves in 11 opportunities.
After he was removed from the closer’s role, he had a 2.86 ERA over his last 22 outings. He brings a veteran presence to camp, and he was respected throughout the clubhouse last year.
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“Hunter was available to pitch 162 games,” Reds Manager David Bell said. “I haven’t been doing this for a real long time, but I’ve never seen that before. I don’t think he ever pitched four (days) in a row. I know he pitched three in a row. Even after three in a row, he was always available on that fourth day. That’s just who he is.”
The 34-year-old Strickland joins a Reds roster that has several open slots in the bullpen. Alexis Díaz, Lucas Sims, Buck Farmer, Reiver Sanmartin and Ian Gibaut are favorites to win jobs on the Opening Day roster, but that leaves three more spots to fill.
“Talking to him a little bit, very focused,” Bell said. “Where he is in his career, he feels like he can get better. He’s learned a lot. He looked like a different person. He’s always been in great shape, but he’s really lean. You can tell he’s very much ready to go. He knows he needs to come in and have a good spring to make the team.”
Reds want to add more lefties to bullpen
The Reds spent a chunk of the 2022 season with Sanmartin as their only lefthanded option in the bullpen. Justin Wilson was sidelined for most of the season after he required Tommy John surgery and Ross Detwiler pitched for three months before he was released.
“Having lefthanded options, more than one, it can really help us win,” Bell said. “It can take some pressure off Reiver. It’s not the most important factor in who makes the team, but it is something that would be nice.”
The Reds have two lefties on minor league deals in camp: Daniel Norris and Alex Young. Norris signed with the Reds on Wednesday after pitching with the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers last year.
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Norris, 29, had a 5.22 ERA in 58 2/3 innings last year. His best stretch came in the final three weeks of the season when he ended the year with seven straight scoreless appearances while permitting only one hit.
“I felt really solid about how I finished the year,” Norris said. “I think I turned things around in a numbers respect, but also pitch by pitch, I had a way better plan and process.”
If Norris makes the roster, the nine-year veteran wants to serve as a mentor for some of the younger pitchers on the staff.
“At this point in my career, I relish the opportunity to help other younger players grow,” he said. “I’ve had the ups and downs, the peaks and valleys. I had plenty of help on my way, but there are moments in your career where you have to figure it out on your own. Some of those negative thoughts that come through in performances, it’s like if I could help one human with that, I think that’s cool. It makes me feel purposeful. That’s beyond throwing baseballs for strikes. We’re all just trying to figure it out.”
Young, 29, had a 2.39 ERA in 26 1/3 innings with the Giants after he was designated for assignment by Cleveland. He credited his success to coaches he had because they helped him refine his pitch usage and encouraged him to use different grips.
He started his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks, so he knew Bell’s late brother, Mike, who was the farm director.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand OK after back scare
Reds corner infield prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand was examined for a back injury when he arrived at his first Major League camp, but he’s not expected to miss much time.
“It was a little bit of a scare at first,” Bell said Friday. “A small aggravation. He should be back next week.”
Encarnacion-Strand is rated as the fifth-best prospect in the organization, according to Baseball America. Between High-A and Double-A, he hit .304 with 32 homers, 31 doubles and 114 RBI. He’ll play first base and third base during camp.
He was one of the three minor leaguers the Reds acquired from the Minnesota Twins in the Tyler Mahle trade.
“I don’t really have a problem with the confidence aspect,” he said. “Baseball is what I love to do. The confidence for me, in baseball, is always there. I just have to go prove it. I think I’m ready for my first big-league spring training.”
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