The Reds announced today that right-hander Caleb Cotham, outfielder Yorman Rodriguez and infielder Hernan Iribarren have all been outrighted off the 40-man roster.
Of the three, Cotham, 29 next week, played the most notable role in 2016. The reliever was one of four players that Cincinnati acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Aroldis Chapman, but he was unable to provide much in the way of value prior to his removal from the roster. In 24 1/3 innings, Cotham yielded 20 earned runs on 32 hits and 12 walks with 21 strikeouts, resulting in a 7.40 earned run average. All of that work came in the first two months of the season, as some inflammation in his right shoulder landed Cotham on the 15-day disabled list, and he suffered a knee injury in the minors that ultimately ended his season.
Rodriguez, 24, has been one of the Reds’ top 20 prospects in each of the past eight offseasons, per Baseball America, but a hamstring injury cost him nearly all of the 2016 season. Rodriguez appeared in just 11 games, all coming at the Double-A level, and batted .346/.370/.385. He batted .269/.308/.429 in 85 Triple-A games last season and missed significant time with a calf injury. Baseball America’s report on him from last winter noted that he’s an above-average runner with a plus arm in right field but fringe-average power and a hit tool that’s average, at best. Rodriguez was a high-profile signing for Cincinnati back in 2008 when he received a $2.5MM bonus as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela, but he was never able to deliver on that investment.
Iribarren, 32, improbably returned to the Major Leagues after a six-year absence and hit well for the Reds in a limited role. The veteran utilityman slashed .311/.311/.444 with three triples in 45 plate appearances, while spending time in center field and right field as well as at second base. Iribarren has just 74 plate appearances in the Majors but has played parts of a dozen seasons in the minors and batted .300/.359/.393 while appearing at every position on the diamond except catcher. Iribarren has even thrown 11 2/3 innings with the Reds’ Triple-A team from 2014-16, somewhat remarkably yielding only one run on four hits and two walks. However, he’s also only struck out a pair of batters and hit three men as well.
I claimed Hernan Iribarren off waivers in my OOTP game once a few years ago.
I honestly didn’t realize that it had been 8 years since Iribarren had been in the big leagues. He’s not at all a bad player to have as your 25th man: no power at all, but good with the glove, runs the bases well, is versatile, and is one of those guys who always hustles.