The Reds announced a series of roster moves today, selecting the contract of right-hander Daniel Duarte. To open a spot on the active roster, fellow righty Ricky Karcher was optioned to Triple-A. Righty Joel Kuhnel was designated for assignment in a corresponding 40-man move.
Duarte, 26, first got added to the Cincinnati roster going into 2022 but he spent most of the season on the injured list due to elbow problems. He was non-tendered, re-signed to a minor league deal and has been pitching in Triple-A so far this year. He has a 3.49 ERA in 28 1/3 innings, striking out 25.4% of opponents while walking 11.1% and getting grounders at a 51.4% clip.
The Reds played a 10-inning game yesterday, using six pitchers in the process. Though they ultimately emerged victorious, the bullpen was a bit taxed so Duarte will come in and give the club a fresh arm. He still has a couple of options and just one year of major league service time, so he could potentially be retained as a cheap and optionable depth piece for the foreseeable future if he continues to hang onto his 40-man roster spot.
The casualty of bringing Duarte up to the majors is Kuhnel. The 28-year-old has bounced on and off the Reds’ roster in recent seasons, logging 74 innings of sporadic action dating back to 2019. He has a 6.20 career ERA, 20.8% strikeout rate, 6.4% walk rate and 51.9% ground ball rate. There’s likely been a bit of bad luck in there as his 62.8% strand rate is well below average, leading to a 4.28 FIP and 3.55 SIERA. But in 24 Triple-A innings this year, he has a 7.13 ERA while striking out just 13.3% of opponents.
The Reds will now have a week to trade Kuhnel or pass him through waivers. In the event he clears waivers, he would have the right to elect free agency by virtue of having a previous career outright. If any club were to acquire Kuhnel, he has a couple of options and just over a year of service time.
Figured Joel would get DFA, can’t get the job done.
LaLoosh to AAA. Shouldn’t have hit the Bull
I dont think we’ll ever see Karcher in the bigs again. made a memory he’ll never forget tho!
Seriously guys, go watch the Karcher post-game interview. That was the best one I think I have ever seen.
Give the kid credit. He was last man up and he did the job.
Duarte was called Boom Boom the last time he pitched in GABP. You can guess why.
He’ll get DFAed again next week in the merry go round the kid GM likes to play on.
The merry go round isn’t the GM’s fault and I doubt he likes to play on it. Our starters throw too many pitches per inning and can’t make into the 6th or 7th inning often enough. When bullpens have to cover 5 or 6 innings per game it’s too much. July and August are coming, brace yourself. Maybe have to build a second MGR.
That’s why I crowed about a strong bullpen all winter because tbat is what you get with young pitchers, especially when there is no veteran around to show them the ropes.
But instead we got the bargain basement variety who have done well, but the same guys are going to get worn out. They are showing it already.
I think he is claim worthy to at least try to stash in AAA. Pirates have the 40 man room so hope they put in claim.
When is ces comeing up to put power in this punch judy line up
So the June 14 line up they thank Newman Fairchild tjhopkins buerrio is better off then ces come on really