The Reds and right-hander Tejay Antone have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Presumably, the righty will receive an invite to big league camp when the deal is made official.
Antone, 32 in December, was establishing himself as a key piece of the Cincinnati bullpen a few years ago. Over 2020 and 2021, he tossed 69 innings with a 2.48 earned run average. His 10.8% walk rate was on the high side but he struck out 32.3% of batters faced and got grounders on 48% of balls in play.
Unfortunately, his career has been derailed by a number of injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2021. That was actually the second such procedure of his career, the first coming back in 2017 when he was in the minors. The second surgery wiped out his entire 2022 season. In 2023, a flexor strain in spring training set him back. He didn’t get back on a big league mound until September. He made five appearances before going back on the IL due to elbow discomfort. In 2024, he made four appearances early in the season before being bit by the injury bug again. He tore a tendon off his bone and suffered a ligament tear, requiring surgery.
Antone spent the rest of 2024 on the injured list. At the end of the season, he was outrighted off the 40-man roster. He was still with the Reds in 2025, but in a non-roster capacity, beginning the season on the minor league injured list. He eventually got healthy enough to make 15 appearances in August and September, logging 15 innings. He allowed 17 earned runs on 23 hits, nine walks and five hit-by-pitches while striking out 15 opponents.
The righty became a free agent at season’s end but he and the Reds have quickly reunited. His numbers in 2025 weren’t good but it was a small sample of work and some rust is understandable after multiple surgeries and so much missed time. For the Reds, there’s no harm in bringing him back on this non-roster deal to see if he can find a new gear as he gets further removed from his most recent surgery.
Photo courtesy of David Kohl, Imagn Images
Wish this dude could stay healthy
With a first name that is phonetically TJ, he was cursed from birth.
My god.
Grit.
this guy is toast
Why don’t we resign Joe Nuxhall while we are at it? TA turns 32 in a few weeks and has pitched in 45 career games, 41 as a reliever. He hasn’t been able to pitch in more strickly because of injury- enough said.
Its a minor league signing
….
Its a minor league signing…
They started early on the cheapy deals this time around, they usually sign guys to minor league deals that fall through the cracks after the first of the year.
@thisone being a reds fan is tough but you being one of the most frequent commenting fans and always being negative makes it harder. Lighten up friend
The only way a business changes is if the customers speak up. Unfortunately there are too many who talk but still frequent that business and fill the owner’s pockets that they feel no need to change.
When Elly leaves for bright lights, big city, when they break up this latest bunch, we will see if it is a wasteland.
Then focus on your Reds’ cheapness and stop b*tching about big market teams then.
Perhaps you should focus your attention from the Reds to politics- seems more suited to your kind of analysis. Your constant pessimism would be morein the spirit of that endeavor.
@thisone, why on earth would the Reds not do this….it is a no lose deal. Lighten up, the Reds have a lot to look forward to this season.
Nuxhall is dead. Maybe that’s why.
Then cross him off
I hope you understand I was joking.
You’ve never seen “Major League” have you?
what could have been
Let me tell you why they resigned him to a minor league deal. Because the guy is not a quitter. After everything he’s been through he still chases his dream. Give him credit for that, the Reds do. He could be an awesome minor league instructor or pitching coach some day…
I wouldn’t quit either if an org kept paying me to throw 5 innings, have surgery, and then rehab.
Got to admire his determination. I’m rooting for him.
Called this one.
If he finally gets over the injury hump, could be another bullpen piece in a barren one now.
If he doesn’t, it was a minor league deal.
Real shame what he’s been through. His stuff is/was really good, just can’t stay healthy. It’s still a great signing for the Reds, but Antone would never be signing a minors deal if he hadn’t had all of the injuries. Hope he can string together a few years of good pitching now a bit later in his career.