The Reds announced a series of roster moves today. Right-hander Sam Benschoter has been sent outright to Triple-A Louisville. Right-hander Jose Franco has been selected to the roster. Right-hander Roddery Muñoz has been claimed off waivers from the Cardinals. The Reds also lost left-hander Reiver Sanmartin to the Giants via a waiver claim, which you can read more about here.
Muñoz, 26 in April, has a limited big league track record. He has thrown 93 2/3 innings between the Marlins and Cardinals with a 6.73 earned run average, 19.5% strikeout rate, 11.9% walk rate and 32.9% ground ball rate.
He has largely been a starter in his career. The Cards converted him to a relief role this year, mostly in the minors, with intriguing results. He tossed 57 2/3 innings over 38 Triple-A appearances with a 3.28 ERA. His 12.1% walk rate was high but he punched out 30.8% of batters faced and ot grounders on 47.8% of balls in play.
He is out of options, which presumably led the Cardinals to bump him off their roster. The Reds are intrigued enough that they have grabbed him off waivers. Perhaps he can hold a roster spot through the winter and compete for a bullpen job in Cincinnati next year. It’s also possible the Reds try to pass him through waivers later in the winter.
Franco, 25 in November, was an international signing out of Venezuela back in 2018. He has climbed the minor league ladder, also with some control issues. He tossed 110 innings in 2025, split between Double-A and Triple-A, with a 3.11 ERA. His 11.5% walk rate was on the high side but he struck out 25.2% of batters faced. Back in May, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked Franco the #24 prospect in the system, predicting a future in the bullpen.
Whatever his future is, the Reds want it to be in Cincinnati. Adding him to the 40-man roster today prevents him from becoming a minor league free agent. He has a full slate of options and can be kept in Triple-A until he earns a role with the big league squad.
Benschoter, 28 in March, was added to the club’s roster on July 1st. Starter Chase Burns had only lasted a third of inning on the prior day, meaning the bullpen had to cover almost the entire game. With the relief corps gassed, Benschoter was one of a couple of fresh arms who were brought up for extra coverage.
However, he was optioned to the minors a few days later without getting into a big league game. He was recalled in August but again didn’t pitch before being optioned, so he is therefore still looking to make his major league debut. He tossed 78 2/3 Triple-A innings this year with a 4.12 ERA, 20.9% strikeout rate, 6.7% walk rate and 49.1% ground ball rate.
Photo courtesy of Joe Puetz, Imagn Images
Typical Reds moves under this management. Another offseason of this ahead apparently.
TOBTTR,
All teams do these house cleaning things at this time of year. Be patient. Why so negative. One bat (short of Ohtani or Judge) will not be that dramatic. We need team wide contact improvements (like the Blue Jay’s heavy contact improvements and drop in strikeouts this year over ’24 that really turned them around). We have two solid outfielders, a solid infield, solid pitching more young bats potentially. Why not improve from within. The Mets spent how much and it didn’t help them.
FLredsfan- This one is on here daily whining. Dumpster diving, Buffalo Bob, worship at the alter and not surprising are some of his go to words. He won’t enlighten us with facts or statistics to back up anything just sourness.
He complains about the Reds not doing anything to win while complaining about “big non-Midwest teams” doing everything to win. He’s depressing.
Does this mean Brandon Williamson is going to be a relief pitcher. I am thinking we are down to one left handed bull pen arm on the 40 man. Moll is it now that sanmatin and sutter are gone unless we move lodolo, Abbott or Williamson to the pen.
Moll’s probably a non-tender candidate too
I know teams dont like to trade within the division but the Cardinals match up quite well with the Reds. The Cardinals have lefty position players to trade as well as Romero a lefty reliever.
The Mets just claimed a lefty reliever from the Orioles. One spot ahead of the Reds in the waiver line. Consolation prize for their late season collapse.
It’s going to be interesting to see how Brandon Williamson returns from injury. If we trade a starting pitcher this off season Brandon could find himself in the rotation at some point. It’s nice to have depth. It’s going to be a fun hot stove league
Hopefully just a spring training arm. Dont need career duds in the bullpen at GABP.
Looks like the Rays declined a $7 million team option on their closer Pete Fairbanks. I wonder if the reds could sign him to a one year deal for that same amount?
Be my calculations to field a competitive team we still need a closer or late inning high leverage type, a couple of left handed bullpen arms (one could be on a minor league deal), a left handed power bat and a right handed everyday bat to slot 5th or 6th in the lineup and we have roughly $25 million to get all of that.
Shannon- If we could swing a trade for Duran from Boston for Singer it would give us a top of the order hitter and excellent defense in LF. Then sign Naylor to hit cleanup for 5yr/90M. These two moves would really transform our lineup and wouldn’t cause too much damage to our pitching.
I have read that the Red Sox want Greene not singer but would be willing to give both Duran and abreu for him. Looking at how they said the payroll would work singer for just Duran would save us another $4 million if they can agree but then that is $18 million for naylor would only leave us $7 million for a closer and a left handed pen arm. I also think we would be one left handed bat to many at that point.
I am perfectly fine with the leadoff hitter we have now in friedl and I don’t think we should give up Greene although he and Duran have the same salary for 2026 abreu who has more power would be league minimum next year and team control 4 more.
If Boston would part with Duran and Abreyu then I’d be all for that. I hate to lose Greene’s potential but he’s yet to turn in a full season. Our rotation can take the hit and you have to give up quality to get quality. If Duran leads off, I think Friedl could be a great 2 hitter with his ability to bunt and hit and run. Almost like two lead off guys. Abreyu would negate the need for Naylor which leaves us more payroll flexibility for the bullpen. Not to mention good defense in the O.
What I was really hoping is they would up payroll from $115 million in 2025 to $130 million in 2026 then sign pagan back for $10 million on a one year deal, either schwarber if he goes on the low end of projections of $25 million a year 4 years or naylor on his low end projection of $17 million a year 4 years. If naylor from the left side then get Austin hays back on a $10 million one year deal or if naylor as left handed then sign andujar back on a 1 year $4 million. Keep our pitching in tact another year. We could do that on $130 million.
So far I feel like they have made the right moves with who they have non tendered like espinal and gibout. Don’t have a probably declining the options on Barlow & Hays either but I feel like they probably should have kept sutter because of our lack of left handed relief pitchers in the organization.
The rays surprisingly declined a $7 million option on their closer yesterday. I thought we might could make a trade for him but now we might could just sign him for the $7 million the rays had the option for on a one year deal. That would leave us about $18 million to spend on a left handed bullpen arm, a left handed power bat and another right handed batter with mediocre power in the 20 home run a year range.
All good points. In the end, we never know what goes on behind the scenes. What seems like good ideas to you and me might be entirely unworkable in reality without knowing all the details. I would love to listen in to front office meetings. But it is fun for us fans to discuss ideas nonetheless.
I am not a GM I just play one on internet message boards.