Every since their failed pursuit of Kyle Schwarber, it has felt as though the Cincinnati Reds have just been going through the motions this offseason. Sure, they are checking in on real players, but that has felt largely performative and that the team is far more likely to continue to shop on the clearance aisle for their needs. The Reds’ moves on Sunday aren’t likely to change that narrative, but the bullpen signing they made at least has some real upside.
It had been known that Cincinnati was searching for bullpen help and one named that had been directly connected (among many) is former Braves’ reliever Pierce Johnson. Well, that chatter proved to have some truth to it as not only did the Reds sign Johnson, but they also went ahead and finalized their agreement with utilityman Garrett Hampson on a minor league deal as well.
Reds, RHP Pierce Johnson reportedly agree to deal, per @MLBNetwork insider @JonHeyman. pic.twitter.com/qCObrP5fzy
— MLB (@MLB) January 11, 2026Reds sign Pierce Johnson as roster begins to fully take shape
Neither of these moves are likely to drastically change the Reds’ trajectory heading into the 2026 season. The Hampson signing was already known from the transaction log, but that deal became official over the weekend and he will provide some useful depth similar to his role last season.
Johnson is a bit more interesting. It came as a bit of a surprise that the Braves decided to not keep him around as he has been one of Atlanta’s better relievers the last couple of years. The Braves’ loss is the Reds’ gain in this case and they are getting a guy that has combined to average more than 61 appearances a game the last two seasons while posting a 3.36 ERA across 115.1 innings of work.
What we don’t know just yet is exactly how much the Reds are paying Johnson and for how long. At 34 years old, a long-term deal would be very ambitious. However, Johnson hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down since turning his career around in Atlanta. Unless the AAV is absurd, it looks like the Reds may have found a nice bargain on the free agent market at an area of need for them.