Earlier this evening, the Cincinnati Reds made an official announcement regarding the re-signing of right-handed pitcher Tony Santillan to a minor-league contract. The agreement encompasses an offer to participate in the Spring Training session scheduled for the year 2024. Santillan, a 26-year-old player, was subjected to a designation for assignment by the club in August and subsequently outrighted in September.

Santillan, who was selected by the Reds in the second round of the 2015 draft, initially commenced his professional career in the minor levels as a starting pitcher, but transitioned to a more versatile role encompassing both starting and relief duties in the year 2021. In the year of his introduction to the major league with the Cincinnati team, he participated in four initial starts in addition to 22 subsequent relief appearances, accumulating a total of 43 1/3 innings of performance. Santillan’s performance in terms of run prevention was highly commendable throughout that period, as evidenced by his impressive 2.91 ERA, but a relatively average 4.62 FIP. Santillan’s commendable performance led to his inclusion in the club’s Opening Day bullpen for the 2022 season. However, his active participation was limited to a mere 19 1/3 innings due to a low back strain, which forced him to sit out for the rest of the season. Consequently, his year concluded with a 5.49 ERA and 4.08 FIP.

The back ailment persisted throughout the 2023 campaign, resulting in Santillan falling behind on his throwing regimen and commencing the season on the injured list. Santillan was activated in July, but, his participation with the Reds during this year was limited to three appearances. In these outings, he pitched for a total of 3 1/3 innings, achieving a 2.70 earned run average. Notably, Santillan only managed to strike out one batter while issuing one walk. Following his demotion to Louisville, the player encountered significant difficulties, as seen by his 7.88 earned run average (ERA) over a span of 32 innings for the remainder of the season.

Despite the discouraging statistics in the lower leagues towards the conclusion of his season, there exists a valid basis to assert that Santillan possesses the potential to serve as a dependable component of the team’s bullpen in 2024, owing to his prior achievements at the major league level and his relatively young age. Due to a substantial record of injuries since his initial appearance in the major leagues, Santillan’s role in the upcoming 2024 season remains uncertain. However, he is expected to contend for a position in the team’s bullpen, among veteran relievers such as Alexis Diaz, Lucas Sims, and Sam Moll. Following a remarkably competitive campaign in Cincinnati during 2023, the baseball club may consider enhancing their bullpen during the upcoming offseason, as the team’s relief corps recorded a 4.11 earned run average (ERA) that ranked in the middle range among all teams in the league throughout the previous season. While the potential impact of Santillan’s return is limited, it does enhance the club’s bullpen depth by introducing a young pitcher who has the potential to serve as a reliable middle reliever, if he can replicate his performance from the 2021 season.