The Cincinnati Reds’ offseason hasn’t generated a ton of buzz, but they seem to be hoping some moves at the margins can help them advance deeper into the playoffs this year.
Following an 83-win season, the Reds’ biggest contract this winter thus far was a two-year, $20 million deal to keep closer Emilio Pagán in Cincinnati. They’ve added a smattering of others with major league experience, including relievers Pierce Johnson and Caleb Ferguson.
Pitching seems to be the theme here, because on Wednesday, the Reds added another arm with four partial seasons of major league experience under his belt — even if he’s far from an established star.
According to the official transactions log, the Reds signed 29-year-old right-hander Darren McCaughan to a minor-league contract on Wednesday. McCaughan had previously elected free agency at the end of September after finishing the season with the Minnesota Twins’ Triple-A affiliate.
It’s not been the most auspicious start to a major league career thus far for McCaughan. He owns a 6.02 ERA in 20 appearances for the Twins, Cleveland Guardians, Miami Marlins, and Seattle Mariners. He did allow just one earned run in his 5 1/3 major league innings last year, but that was undercut by a 5.10 ERA in his 97 innings in Triple-A.
Once a 12th-round pick for the Mariners in 2017 out of Long Beach State, McCaughan will need a breakthrough performance sometime soon to breathe some life into his big-league career.
Every inning the righty throws in spring training will matter, and even if he can’t do enough initially to make the opening day roster, the impression he leaves will determine whether he’s high on the pecking order for a call-up.
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