The Cincinnati Reds have reached an agreement with right-handed pitcher Alan Busenitz on a minor league deal, as confirmed by the transactions log on Busenitz’s MLB.com profile page earlier this week. Busenitz, who became a free agent in the minor leagues this winter, is now set to make a return to Cincinnati for his second season with the organization.
Originally drafted in the 25th round by the Angels in 2013, Busenitz made his Major League Baseball debut with the Twins in 2017, spending two seasons in the club’s bullpen and posting a 4.58 ERA along with a 5.49 FIP. Following his release by the Twins before the 2019 season, Busenitz ventured to Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, where he had an impressive first season with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, recording a remarkable 1.69 ERA in 64 innings. However, his performance somewhat declined over the next two seasons, registering a 3.51 ERA in 82 innings with a modest 18% strikeout rate. Nevertheless, Busenitz experienced a resurgence in 2022, tallying a 2.14 ERA over 33 2/3 innings and striking out 21.1% of batters faced.
Given his strong 2022 showing and generally solid track record in NPB, the Reds took notice and signed him to a minor league deal last offseason. Despite being shuffled on and off the 40-man roster during the season, Busenitz ultimately delivered an impressive 2.57 ERA across six appearances in the majors, with five strikeouts and just one walk in seven innings of work. His Triple-A numbers were also commendable early in the season, boasting a 2.48 ERA in 40 innings through mid-August. However, a potential concern arose with his 12.8% walk rate during that time.
The latter part of 2023 saw Busenitz’s performance take a nosedive after being sent to the minors in late August. Struggling significantly, he posted a daunting 13.91 ERA in his final 11 minor league appearances, dragging his overall numbers for the season down to a mediocre 4.94 ERA in 51 innings. Looking ahead to the 2024 season, if Busenitz can avoid a late-season slump, he could serve as a valuable depth arm for the Reds. This would be crucial in supporting a relief corps that played a substantial role, covering an extensive 652 1/3 frames last year, second only to the Giants in the National League. Busenitz is expected to compete for a spot in the Reds’ bullpen this spring, facing competition from pitchers like Fernando Cruz and Buck Farmer.
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