The Reds announced this afternoon that the club has selected the contract of right-hander Alan Busenitz. To make room for Busenitz on the active roster, the club optioned fellow right-hander Carson Spiers.
Busenitz made his debut with the Twins in 2017 and returned to the club in 2018 before heading overseas to pitch in Japan, where he stayed for four seasons, racking up a 2.60 ERA and 2.91 FIP in 190 NPB appearances. That performance caught the attention of the Reds, who signed Busenitz to a minor league deal back in December. Busenitz made five appearances for the Reds, pitching to a 3.60 ERA and 2.65 FIP in five innings of work, before being designated for assignment and outrighted to the minors in early September. He’s struggled a bit at the Triple-A level this year, with a 4.94 ERA in 51 innings, but now has returned to the roster, where he’ll have a chance to play for the Reds during the final game of the club’s 2023 season.
Spiers, 25, made his big league debut for the Reds earlier this season. The rookie struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, allowing twelve runs (10 earned) on seven walks and 18 hits across 13 innings of work while striking out 12. Spiers had more success in the minor leagues, spending most of the season at the Double-A level and combining for a 3.60 ERA in 85 innings of work between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Should Spiers stick around on the club’s 40-man roster through the offseason, he figures to compete for a spot in the big league bullpen in 2024 come Spring Training.
More must-reads: