The Reds need to give their rookie relievers even more of a shot

Until Graham Ashcraft went on the injured list in the middle of June, Terry Francona had a pretty set strategy with the Reds’ bullpen: Get the game to Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagán in high leverage innings and always go to those three with the game on the line.

Then, Ashcraft went on the IL with a groin injury (he’s ramping up now toward a return). All of a sudden, roles in the back of the bullpen were in flux.

“It’s amazing how much we’ve missed Ashcraft,” Francona said. “You got to a point in the game (with Ashcraft on the roster) where if you just get there — it doesn’t always mean you’re going to win — but you get lined up.”

Scott Barlow has been solid in some high-leverage spots, but there are some other options with higher ceilings. From a roster management perspective, one of the stories of the second half of the Reds’ season is how much they can count on rookie relievers with electric stuff who are showing flashes but are also pretty unproven in big moments.

There’s a wave of these guys. Lyon Richardson, Connor Phillips and Luis Mey (currently in Triple-A) have some of the best stuff out of any reliever in the organization. The same can be said about prospect Zach Maxwell, who has allowed five total runs over the last seven weeks (four of those runs scored in one game) in Triple-A and hasn’t made his big league debut yet.

“(The young relievers) can be counted on for big time innings in big time spots,” Brent Suter said. “Electric stuff plays in high-octane moments. The swing and miss stuff plays. These guys can be those guys for us. They have big arms and great makeup and really good off speed stuff. It’s been a joy to watch them develop. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

In 2023, Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte and Christian Encarnacion-Strand were among the top prospects who made their debut and immediately provided a spark. This year’s group of rookie relievers can’t be quite as impactful as that group because every day position players are more valuable than middle relievers. But if some of these rookie relievers are really ready for the big stage, then that significantly changes the way you feel about the Reds’ pitching staff.

Pagán and Santillan have been steady (they’ve also been a bit overused). Ashcraft was grinding before he went on the IL as he adjusts to life in the bullpen, but he’ll be a high-leverage guy whenever he’s healthy. After that, roles in the bullpen still feel like a blank slate.

Barlow is in the middle of a good stretch, but he has one of the worst walk rates in MLB. Brent Suter has been very valuable, but he has been used as a long reliever. Terry Francona hasn’t shown confidence in Taylor Rogers or Ian Gibaut in high-leverage spots over the last two months.

The front office could target more late-game relief options at the trade deadline, especially if Richardson, Phillips, Mey and Maxwell don’t cement themselves as late-game relievers before then. The next month will be a critical evaluation point for those four rookies as the Reds figure out what they have and see if they need some more experienced relief help.

Out of this group of rookie relievers, Richardson has received the most opportunities so far and passed each test.

“With young guys, you’d like to develop and grow,” Francona said. “(Richardson) is very resilient. He’s definitely earning that (high-leverage opportunity). He has not been given anything. He has earned everything he has gotten.”

In the win over the Yankees last Tuesday, the best victory of the Reds’ season, Richardson was the unsung hero. He got Aaron Judge out to end the eighth inning and then returned to pitch a scoreless ninth. Based on Terry Francona’s bullpen usage, Richardson appears to be neck-and-neck with Barlow for the No. 3 leverage spot on the bullpen depth chart.

“(Richardson) has been unbelievable all year long,” Barlow said. “He’s always wanting to take the ball regardless of the situation. He’s prepared. He’s confident. He knows he can get outs at any time in the game no matter how long he’s out there.”

While Richardson has a 1.85 ERA in 20 big league appearances this year, he has also been optioned to Triple-A twice during the season. The rookie relievers plus Ashcraft are the only ones in the bullpen with usable minor league options, so Richardson was the odd-man out twice when the Reds needed a fresh arm as the Reds prioritized keeping their depth.

There was a lot of talk about the Reds “sending a message” about trying to win when they called up Chase Burns and DFAd Jeimer Candelario. The real message will come when they consistently keep their top-eight relievers in the big leagues instead of prioritizing keeping depth.

“Every time he (Richardson) been optioned,” Suter said, “I feel really sad for him and also myself because he’s a huge asset out there for our bullpen.”

Heading into the 2023 season, Phillips was the Reds’ top pitching prospect. He didn’t stick as a starter, in part because of an injury issue that was trickier to deal with over the course of long starts. Francona said, “With what he had going on, where he had the numbness, (the bullpen) is much more suitable for him… A guy that’s got a big arm like that and isn’t necessarily commanding yet like you’d hope can still help in the bullpen.”

Phillips, who has pitched in three games this season, allowed the automatic runner to score in the 11th inning in the dramatic win over the Yankees last Tuesday. But he made a great response, closed out the rest of the inning and picked up the win. Phillips didn’t allow a run to score in his other two big league appearances this year.

Before Phillips got called up last week, he had allowed one earned run in Triple-A in the previous month.

“I’m proud of him,” Suter said. “He has been really good for us so far. He has electric stuff too. His arsenal is really special. He can be immensely helpful for us this year. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, it’s a bright future ahead for him.”

Similar to Richardson and Phillips, Mey and Maxwell have incredible arms but are working on their command.

There’s no guarantee that any one of them totally clicks in a high-leverage role this season. Richardson, who debuted in 2023, had an essentially lost 2024 season due to injuries and ineffectiveness in Triple-A. Phillips needed a total reset in Rookie Ball last year because of how poor his command was. Mey and Maxwell are still very green and inexperienced.

There are questions, but they also all have real talent. Richardson, Phillips and Mey have all had their first shots in high-leverage moments in the big leagues this season. For the most part, it’s been so far, so good.

“You can’t let the moment get too big and let that get you sped up,” Suter said. “Just make pitches. Breathe. It’s just a matter of trusting your stuff and being the same guy every pitch.”

The Reds should give them (plus Maxwell) more of a shot in pressure moments before the trade deadline. The Reds need to really understand what they have here and whether or not they have enough high-octane relievers ready for the stretch run. If they do, great. Pagán, Santillan, Ashcraft, Richardson, Phillips, Mey, Maxwell, Barlow, Suter and the rest has the potential to be a pretty nice bullpen.

If the rookies don’t click, then the Reds will know what they need at the deadline.