While the Reds didn’t make a formal announcement, they inked veteran right-hander Brad Brach to a minor league contract earlier this week. Brach, a client of Big League Management, was listed as part of the Opening Day roster at Triple-A Louisville and pitched a scoreless frame of relief for the Bats last night (two strikeouts, one walk).
The 35-year-old righty spent Spring Training with the Royals and was selected to their MLB roster last month, but Kansas City designated him for assignment before he got into a game. Brach opted for free agency upon clearing waivers, which led to his new agreement with Cincinnati.
Though Brach struggled with the Mets through 12 1/3 frames last season, he brings to the Reds organization a lengthy track record of solid, late-inning relief work. He was an understated contributor to a pair of very good Orioles clubs in 2014-15 and gave the O’s a 2.99 ERA in parts of five seasons from ’14-’18. Brach notched a sub-4.00 ERA each year from 2012-18, striking out just north of a quarter of his opponents along the way. Walks were an issue at times (10.3 percent overall), but he logged a tidy 3.05 ERA through 449 innings and made an All-Star team during that seven-year peak.
It remains to be seen whether Brach can bounce back from a rough couple of seasons in 2019-20. His velocity dipped quite a bit last year, although he’d hardly be the only pitcher who suffered from a short build-up to the 60-game schedule in that regard. On a minor league deal for a Reds club that currently has setup man Michael Lorenzen on the 60-day IL due to shoulder concerns, Brach makes for a sensible roll of the dice.
Lorenzen is not a setup man anymore. The Reds have converted him to a starter. At least that was the plan before the season.
That was my understanding as well. I haven’t seen or read anywhere that the plan had changed.
righyt on!
Where is Shane Greene these days? Discount the 2020 season, Brach actually had a nice 2019 with the Mets after starting poorly with Chicago.
Shocks me Greene hasn’t been signed with the epidemic of injuries this year taken into account. He must be holding fast to a figure nobody wants to touch…….yet
Brach in the saddle again.
Great…lock up the toilet lids down in Sarasota, this dude has upper-deckered every toilet he’s ever sat on.
Circus peanuts for everyone.
The Candy Man returns!!!
The immediate future for Lorenzen as a starter is not for sure. Given the Reds bullpen instability, and starters level of success, it doesn’t seem that improbable that Lorenzen could relieve again when he is activated.
And with shoulder issues & half a season over they won’t want to waist the time building up innings nor is it smart to give a guy a new roll after shoulder issues.
If & when he makes it back this year my monies on A bullpen roll
Makes more sense given his shoulder issues. You can ease him back by sending him out for just an inning for like 6 or 7 games before expanding that. Otherwise he’d probably be limited to 3 or 4 innings as a 5th day starter for several weeks