CINCINNATI (WKRC) – The Reds have hired Joe Torres as their pitching coach, bringing a former Cleveland Guardians assistant to Cincinnati to work again with manager Terry Francona.
Torres, 44, spent the past five seasons as Cleveland’s assistant pitching coach. He worked under Francona in 2022 and 2023, helping the Guardians rank among the top 10 major league teams in earned-run average in each of his seasons on the staff. Cleveland won four American League Central titles during that span.
The hire marks Torres’ sixth season on a major league coaching staff and his 11th as a professional pitching coach. He spent his first 10 years in the Guardians’ organization, including roles as the team’s minor league pitching coordinator in 2020 and 2021 and as a pitching coach at several of its minor league affiliates.
Before becoming a coach, Torres pitched for 13 professional seasons. The Angels selected him 10th overall in the 2000 draft, and he appeared in 345 minor league games across five organizations. He also pitched at Arizona State and won gold medals with Team USA at the 1998 and 1999 Baseball World Cups.