CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Over the last few years, the Cincinnati Reds’ front office has made a point to acquire a few versatile pitchers who have the ability to bolster the staff in multiple roles. The newest Reds pitcher, Keegan Thompson, fits that description.
Thompson signed a one-year Major League deal with the Reds on Tuesday in what appears to be the first finalized contract anywhere on the MLB free agent this winter.
“I don’t know if they want me to be a leverage guy, a long reliever, a one-inning guy or a multiple inning role guy,” Thompson said. “If I’m a multiple inning guy, that (approach) will help me out a lot. (Pitching multiple innings) has been one of the better things I’ve had success at in my career, throwing multiple innings. We’ll see what their idea is and go from there.”
Thompson’s contract is a split contract, so he will make $1.3 million prorated when he’s in the big leagues and $350,000 prorated in the minor leagues. The 30-year-old right-hander has another $100k in performance bonuses.
Thompson was an up-down guy on the Cubs’ pitching staff between 2021 and 2024, appearing in 104 big league games including 17 starts while splitting time between Triple-A and the big leagues. Then in 2025, he was out of options so the Cubs didn’t have the ability to move him up-and-down over the course of the year.
There wasn’t a permanent need on the Cubs’ big league roster, so Thompson spent the entire 2025 season in Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs. He struck out 83 batters in 64 innings while posting a 4.50 ERA.
“Last year, it was about having a positive attitude,” Thompson said. “It was the first year I didn’t have any big league time in the last five years. Having the right attitude was very important. It was the main thing I focused on.”
Because Thompson ended last year in Triple-A, he classified as a Minor League free agent and was eligible to sign a contract with a new team before the official start of free agency later this week.
After spending the entire 2025 season in Triple-A, Thompson said that it’s nice to have everything figured out for next year just a few days into the offseason.
Thompson throws five pitches and has a track record of getting strikeouts and swing and miss.
“I’m going to come right at guys,” Thompson said. “I have four-to-five pitches that I can throw to both sides of the plate.”
The ability to throw so many pitches has been a key factor in his versatility. When he faces the lineup a second time, he can adjust like a starting pitcher.
“Every situation is different depending on what you go to and from,” Thompson said. “You have to manage your work pitching wise and the weight room. You have to manage your routine.”
The Reds’ bullpen remains wide open and unsettled. Emilio Pagán and Nick Martinez are free agents. The Reds have to decide this week on team options for 2026 on Brent Suter ($3 million) and Scott Barlow ($6.5 million).
Tony Santillan and Graham Ashcraft return and will fill high-leverage relief roles. Connor Phillips had a terrific stretch run to last season and is as talented as any pitcher on the roster, but the 24-year-old still has limited experience. After that, there are a lot of prospects, including Zach Maxwell, Luis Mey, Lyon Richardson and Yosver Zulueta. Sam Moll, Sam Benschoter and Reiver Sanmartin are also on the 40-man roster.
“Some of those guys are going to need to compete for spots,” Nick Krall said a few weeks ago. “Maxwell came up at the end of the season on the regular season roster. Connor Phillips did a good job at the end of the season. Mey had some highlights in the middle of the season where some things were good. Richardson did the same thing. Everyone is going to have that chance. You’re going to want to have a competition in spring training.”
That group of prospects has a whole lot of power and velocity, but each one faced challenges last season.
The more important question that the Reds’ front office is facing might not be which prospects will make the team on Opening Day, but how many they can count on to do that. The answer to that question will inform how many relievers the Reds will have to add this winter.
Thompson is the first new piece entering the bullpen mix for 2026.
Adding a left-handed reliever might be the Reds’ most pressing need this winter.
Krall said on Tuesday that the Reds’ budget for 2026 will be around the same as it was in 2025.
Last year’s estimation was around $115 million. By that estimation, that gives the Reds about $20-to-25 million to work with this winter. The Reds will be rebuilding this bullpen on a budget.
Fortunately for them, they’ve been good at that in the past. Between 2023 and 2024, Ian Gibaut, Buck Farmer, Fernando Cruz, Derek Law, Alex Young, Tony Santillan and Justin Wilson came out of nowhere to give the Reds solid bullpen production.
The Reds didn’t break the bank for Pagán, Barlow or Suter, but they all also were positive acquisitions.
The 2026 Reds will likely also need to find value as they build the bullpen instead of signing the most expensive and established free agents on the market.
“We’ve had a lot of good guys come through here in the bullpen over the last few years,” Krall said. “Our pitching group has done a good job, and so has our acquisition group of bringing in a handful of guys… Some of it has been bulk. We’ve tried a bit of this and a bit of that. Trying to get as many guys as you can to see what makes sense.”
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