Veteran Reds Pitcher Opts Out of Minor League Deal, Elects Free Agency

The Reds have a plethora of lefties in their bullpen already.

Sep 10, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Andrew Chafin (39) pitches during the fifth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Reds have a plethora of lefties in their bullpen, but they still opted to sign veteran southpaw Andrew Chafin to a minor league deal earlier this year. To nobody's surprise, Chafin never cracked the big leagues with the Reds, and MLB insider Jon Heyman has reported that Chafin opted out of his deal with Cincinnati on Monday.

"Veteran lefty reliever Andrew Chafin opted out of his Reds deal and is a free agent," Heyman wrote in a post to X on Monday.

Chafin has bounced from team to team over the last few seasons before landing with the Reds this offseason. The veteran lefty has thrown very well in Louisville for the Reds' Triple-A affiliate, the Louisville Bats. He held a 0.96 ERA in 9 1/3 innings while allowing four hits and six walks this season. But despite the production, he didn't have a home in Cincinnati.

Reds Didn't Have a Role for Andrew Chafin in Cincinnati

Mar 4, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Andrew Chafin (39) throws a pitch against Puerto Rico in the sixth inning during spring training at Lee Health Sports Complex/Hammond Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

There was no place for the Reds to stick Chafin in Cincinnati.

Sam Moll is the team's lefty killer. If they need one or two outs from a lefty, Moll is the man for the job. His low arm slot, sinker, and sweeper allow him to terrorize left-handed bats much more than Chafin could.

Brock Burke has been excellent this season, aside from a recent bad outing in a blowout. But most high-leverage moments that Burke has been thrown into, he's dominated. He's a key piece of the bullpen in Cincinnati.

Caleb Ferguson will be returning to the Reds soon, too, which is a third lefty in the bullpen. Teams typically don't carry more than two or three southpaws in their bullpen. Graham Ashcraft, a righty, is also excellent against left-handed batters, which made Chafin's pursuit of a job in Cincinnati even harder.

Reds Still Need to Find a Long Reliever

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) calls out to a player during a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers, Sunday, April 26, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The biggest hole in the Reds' bullpen is their long relief spot.

When the starter gets bounced from the game early, the Reds have a very difficult time picking up the three or four innings in between the starter and the high-leverage relievers.

Chafin wouldn't fill that role, either, so he never made his way to Cincinnati.
After such a productive year in Triple-A, he's bound to find a job somewhere.

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