Reds Bring Back Familiar Face on Minor League Deal

Cincinnati – The Reds made a roster move on Tuesday, no it wasn't Kyle Schwarber. Left-handed pitcher Joel Valdez was signed to a Minor League contract. Before last season, he had been with the New York Yankees since 2021 and originally signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018.

The 25-year-old made his Reds organizational debut this past season, beginning the year in Double-A Chattanooga. While with the Lookouts, he pitched in 26 games with a 1.38 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP in 45 2/3 innings. Batters hit just .212 against him, and he struck out 55.

He was promoted to Triple-A on August 23. He struggled in his time with the Bats; batters hit .320 against him, and he had a 6.00 ERA in nine appearances. He struck out 12 and walked five batters in those appearances.

The former Yankees prospect ranks in the top 10 in more than a dozen categories with the team's High-A affiliate, the Hudson Valley Renegades. He is second in strikeouts, third in games, and fifth in innings. Valdez is excellent at getting groundball outs. At every level in his career, he has had a groundball rate above 50 percent. His fastball is in the low-to-mid 90s, peaking around 96 MPH. He also throws a changeup and a slider, both in the low-to-mid 80s range.

The 25-year-old give the Reds much needed left-handed pitching depth in the organization

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