The Cincinnati Reds have re-signed relief pitchers Jesse Biddle and R.J. Alaniz to minor league deals for the 2021 season. Both players have also been invited to spring training with the big league club.
Jesse Biddle pitched in one game for the Reds in the 2020 season. The left-handed reliever had spent most of the year at Prasco Park as a part of Cincinnati’s alternate site squad on the 60-man player pool roster. But he got called up in late August and pitched in Milwaukee on the 27th. He allowed a hit and a walk while picking up a strikeout in 0.2 innings in the first game of a double header. Biddle went on the 10-day injured list two days later with a shoulder injury and missed the remainder of the season. Following the season he was outrighted to Triple-A and then elected free agency. Now he’s back in the fold on a minor league deal.
R.J. Alaniz was also at Prasco Park this past year as a part of the Reds 60-man player pool. In mid-September Cincinnati called him up to the Major Leagues, but he never pitched in a game before being optioned back to the alternate site in Mason. Earlier this month the organization non-tendered the right-handed reliever, making him a free agent. He’s been pitching in the Mexican Winter League this offseason for Hermosillo and he’s been having plenty of success. In his 12 appearances he’s yet to allow a run, allowing just five hits and walking five batters in 11.2 innings while striking out 16 of the 45 hitters that he’s faced.
The 2021 Findlay Market Parade is postponed
It was announced earlier on Friday that the Findlay Market Parade has been postponed. The committee that puts the event on has decided that until the Cincinnati Reds can welcome in a full crowd of fans that they don’t plan to have the parade, either.
I think they see something in these guys… You know, the Reds are taking a lot of heat from many of us for letting go of such important relievers. Fair enough… but I wonder if the Reds didn’t trust Bradley’s arm. There was some game late in the season where I was like, “Why aren’t they putting in Bradley?” It had been several days since his usage and I was just confused. Iglesias is more of the head scratcher for me… but then again, he made a lot more money. I seriously think the Reds feel like this is a place where they can cut the fat… Right or wrong, they think they can pick something up and have it stick. I hope they’re right. I just keep thinking that the Reds aren’t throwing in the towel…even if perhaps they should. I won’t be surprised if the Reds pick up a decent shortstop or starter.
How many open spaces on the 40 man roster? Still 8 or 9 open spots? Surely they have a plan of some type.
Wish they did LDS- don’t count on it though . Krall not inspiring a lot of confidence that they have any plan whatsoever but to trim payroll .
I suspect most will remain open all year, with a move or trade maybe taking up 1 or 2. I also think many teams will have quite a few 40 man openings, all related to saving a few $$$ after a crippling loss of revenue in 2020 and probably a solid loss in 2021.
If covid vaccines prove wildly effective and widely available over the next few months, then teams/owners will breathe a sigh of relief and start operating a bit more normally, though they’ll still want to recoup some of the 2020 losses.
They may be holding spots open for the glut of players who will likely be signed to minor league deals and invited to camp. With 40-man roster spots open, they can add those players to the 40-man once they have made the team without having to DFA anyone else. By my count on midday Saturday, the 40-man roster is still at 31. Apparently, they did not have to add Leonardo Rivas, who was the PTBNL in the Iglesias trade, to the 40-man roster.
I think they are going to be fine as long as they sign a legit free agent SS like Gregorius. If they need to cut anymore $ try to move Shogo to a west coast team such as Seattle SF Or one of the LA teams for another pitching prospect. I believe they are planning to fast track Lodolo and Greene. What’s Friedl’s best OF position can he play CF if and when Senzel gets injured?
….part of me… a veeery smaaalll part… actually kind of wants to see how sizable a return for Gray might actually be…especially if the trade included a shortstop that could get on base. Maybe its how the Reds can actually afford a good shortstop… and if they could get lucky on a couple of beat up old starters off the scrap heap…Maybe the Reds could actually sneak into the playoffs.
I suspect that until Votto retires or his contract expires, the Reds will continue to be mediocre. The ownership seems committed to reducing expenses. By then it’ll be full rebuild time.
I am with you Kevin. If we can get a couple of top prospects and a long shot with high ceiling, then I’d be very comfortable with a trade. Gray is cheap, seems to be durable, but in the end, he might be worth more (as would Suarez) to the Reds if he is on another team.
Trade Gray and Suarez IF you get a deal you can’t refuse. Put that money to user in a bargain FA deal (they’ll be all over the place this winter), and you might not lose much at all.
Gray, Senzel and Garcia for Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton and Jhoan Duran.
So sad that Findlay market parade is canceled. Can mlb survive another year without fans?
There should be some fans in the stands during the upcoming season with precautions. Fuller stadiums won’t return until 2022.
When you see what they’re doing to the minor leagues, it seems doubtful that MLB wants fans at all!
As Reds make moves on the periphery to tweak the roster, I wonder if the search for that “bridge” at SS isn’t already in-house. This may be “out there” but it migh work. Suarez came up as a SS, does he have enough to move back there? Move Moustakas to 3B, Senzel to 2B. Frees up some of the outfield logjam, but it does make the INF defense three wooden posts (with Votto at 1B) and one injury-prone guy with speed.
But it beats paying $21m for one-year.
Yeah… I’ve speculated on in house solutions as well. As often as the Reds defensively shift, you have to wonder whether Farmer might just be as good as any other solution. I think the question might be, “Is Suarez good enough to play shortstop twice a week or maybe once a week?” I’m just not sure I trust Suarez’s arm accuracy as much these days. If Senzel were to be brought into the infield, I would be more inclined to have Senzel at 3rd and and move Suarez to second and Moose to first while leaving Farmer at short and giving Votto a day. None of this is ideal really, and I don’t know too many managers that wouldn’t rather have an excellent glove guy on the bench. And if you get that, I’d imagine that glove guy would get used often enough that it would negate any offensive production gains made by occasionally bringing Senzel into the infield. Honestly, we aren’t even sure Senzel will produce offensively consistently. And yet, if the Reds spent significantly on pitching per se instead of shortstop, I have to wonder whether having a terrible fielding infield might be worth it. Those theoretical pitchers would have to be strike out guys and not necessarily contact guys, which I would think would be more expensive anyways.
Two things about Suarez at Shortstop…
1) it was 2015 when he played there regularly
2) he has a completely different body type now. I can’t find the data to back this up, but I would bet he’s put on at least 25 pounds since then. Sure looks a lot bulkier to me.
I really don’t think he has the range at this point to move back there.
Agreed. If he gets any bigger, he’ll have trouble playing third.
I’ve been saying for a week, if they want to tear it all down and actually rebuild, unlike the last feeble attempt to do so, they can use Alfredo Rodriquez at SS for a year or two until JG is actually ready. Also what about Miguel Rodriquez? Is he still a potential player of the future?
I saw a Yankees blog, saying Torres for Castillo. It would be an interesting move to make. He is controllable to 24, currently inexpensive, and could take over SS. I’d rather trade Gray than Castillo if it came down to it, but I’d love to have Torres as a Red. Having said that I’d rather trade from the minors for a SS, or get one from FA. I think if we do see an improvement in our offense, that our rotation is still strong enough to go against any team in a playoff series.
Yes MBS… that is an interesting idea. Strip away the Yankee hype, and I think you still have a pretty darn good shortstop and second baseman. Its also possible the Reds overvalue Castillo… I might do it if the Reds kept Gray.