The Reds announced that right-hander Keegan Thompson has been designated for assignment. The move creates a 40-man roster spot for outfielder JJ Bleday, whose signing is now official.
Thompson just signed a split contract with the Reds in early November, but since he is out of minor league options, Cincinnati has to first expose the righty to the waiver wire before he can be removed from the 40-man and sent to Triple-A. Because Thompson has been outrighted off a 40-man roster in the past, he can opt for free agency if he clears waivers and the Reds outright him now, though Thompson would have to walk away from the money owed to him for the 2026 season. The split contract will pay Thompson $1.3MM for his time spent on Cincinnati’s big league roster.
As he enters his age-31 season, Thompson is looking to return to the majors for the first time since the 2024 campaign. His 3.64 ERA over 227 1/3 MLB innings is quite respectable, and working exclusively in a relief capacity with the Cubs in 2024 boosted Thompson’s strikeout rate to a personal best of 28.3%. These numbers and Thompson’s ability to cover multiple innings seemingly made him a pretty interesting bullpen weapon for the Cubs, yet the team may have been disenchanted by Thompson’s lack of control. The righty’s walk rate ballooned to 14.7% over 59 big league innings during the 2023-24 seasons.
Chicago designated Thompson for assignment last March and subsequently outrighted him off the 40-man, resulting in Thompson spending his 2025 season entirely with Triple-A Iowa. Thompson had a 4.50 ERA over 64 innings in Iowa, but also a 29.5% strikeout rate and an 8.9% walk rate that failed to capture the Cubs’ attention for another look in the Show.
Teams in need of bullpen help could potentially claim Thompson off waivers, though a claiming team would also be absorbing the split contract’s potential $1.3MM price tag. It might not be a huge price to pay if a rival club sees a benefit in Thompson’s ability to chew up bullpen innings, or if its coaching staff views Thompson’s control as a correctable issue. In lieu of a claim, Thompson might pass on another trip to the open market and opt to remain in Cincinnati’s organization, as he likely anticipated a potential DFA at some point during the winter.
He’s great on SNL. Same guy, right?
If you’re on drugs
Thompson’s a pretty decent pitcher. Kind of an odd decision to DFA him.
Signed him for $1.3 ish so he likely to accept the outright to keep the $$, serve as depth
Ah. Yes, correct. If he isn’t claimed.
Found it odd as well they have DFAed two potential bullpen guys in an already thin bullpen and without adding anyone else outside the one lefty. But current management has always seemed to treat the bullpen as an afterthought, even with all the five inning pitchers around.
The whole offseason has been odd.
1. They say payroll won’t increase even after making the postseason.
2. With a limited budget they sign Thompson for the pen for $1.4 million when they needed a closer or late inning type and a high leverage left handed pitcher. They eventually sign pagan to take care of closer. I was good with going with the likes of Phillips & Richardson as low leverage right handed relievers at league minimum if it could squeeze enough money to get us a middle of the order everyday left handed power bat.
3. They obviously were willing to bust the budget for Schwarber by offering him $25 million a year for 5 years thinking he would sell more tickets.
4. When they understandably miss on Schwarber who was the best candidate to give them left handed power bat they need, they fail to trade for Brandon Lowe (the best trade target for the reds to improve) or sign Ryan O’Hearn the best remaining free agent to improve the team with left handed power bat other than Kyle Tucker which definitely would bust the budget. Schwarber being local would sell more tickets marginally but Schwarber making us a better team regardless where he is from would profoundly sell more tickets. Although not as good as schwarber either Ohearn or Lowe would sell more tickets than a local player that hit like espinol last year.
5. They trade for Bleday who also makes $1.4 million a year like Thompson and to make room on the roster they DFA Thompson and still have to pay him his money basically doubling Bleday. In essence we will be paying $2.8 million for Bleday when we already have literally the exact same left handed hitter in Will Benson. Both former first round picks who have not been able to play everyday because they can’t hit left handed pitching.
So now they are back to Phillips as low leverage right handed relief pitcher and still don’t have an impact left handed bat and spent $2.8 million more than they need to for a borderline playoff caliber team with one of the 5 tightest budgets in MLB.
Wonder if the Cubs will take him back.
NO! Enough is enough!!
Marginal type who is out of options, very good chance he winds up outrighted.
What are you waiting for Perry?
MARLINS could get a “bargain relief help” here, now that Ronny Henriquez is out for the season
Keegan, we hardly knew ye.
If all else fails, he can go back to the Keegan and Kel show.
Thompson’s reaction to DFA – “What’s Up With That ?”
Nobody is claiming him and there isn’t a big league contract waiting for him in FA. Off to AAA he goes.
J. J. Bleday and Dane Myers. The Reds continue to pick up the cast offs from other teams. We have enough AAAA OFs to start another farm team.
Not familiar with Myers but we already had Bleday we call him Will Benson. The difference is to make room for something we already had we had to sign Thompson for $1.4 million (which we already had in Conner Phillips at league minimum) and then DFA him and then get Bleday for $1.4 million making his cost basically $2.8 million for something we already have.
Strange for a team that didn’t have the resources to trade for Brandon Lowe’s $11.5 million salary or sign Ryan O’Hearn for $14.5 million a year for 2 years.
Nats should sign him
Between SNL and all of his commercials for various companies, why even bother with Baseball??