Reds Add Lefty Caleb Ferguson to Bullpen with Eyes on October
The Cincinnati Reds are adding a postseason-tested arm to their bullpen, officially signing left-hander Caleb Ferguson to a one-year, $4.5 million deal on December 18. And make no mistake-Ferguson didn’t choose Cincinnati by accident. He’s chasing October baseball again, and he sees the Reds as a team built to get there.
Ferguson, 29, brings more than just a lefty arm to the mound. He brings experience, versatility, and a mentality built for high-leverage moments.
Last season, he split time between the Mariners and Pirates, putting together a 5-4 record with a 3.58 ERA over 70 appearances. That’s solid production from a reliever who’s shown he can handle a heavy workload.
Over his seven-year career, Ferguson has pitched in 333 games with a 3.66 ERA and six saves, logging time with five different clubs-including the Dodgers, Yankees, and Astros. He’s not just a journeyman; he’s a guy who keeps finding roles on competitive rosters. And now, he lands in Cincinnati with the goal of helping a young, hungry team take the next step.
“Watching the team last year, it looked like a lot of fun going down the stretch,” Ferguson said during his introductory Zoom call with local reporters. “Being in a chase is always fun. I think everybody plays this game hoping for the chance to win, and in my situation, I feel like this is my best chance to go out and try to win some ball games.”
Ferguson knows what it looks like when a team is on the cusp. He watched the Reds claw their way into the 2025 postseason and saw a team that could grind out runs and create chaos on the basepaths. That kind of offense-pesky, relentless, and opportunistic-stood out to him.
“I always kind of felt like, every time I faced them, you were a couple singles away from being in a bad spot,” Ferguson said. “In my opinion, those are kind of the scary teams-the teams that can single you to death, work up a pitch count, and before you know it, you’ve got a three-run inning. You don’t really know how it happened, and that’s kind of what it looks like.”
Now, Ferguson gets to be on the other side of that equation, joining a bullpen that’s undergoing a strategic rebuild. Reds manager Terry Francona made it clear to Ferguson that he’s not just another arm-he’s part of a plan. The Reds needed a reliable left-hander, and Ferguson checks that box.
He also brings valuable postseason experience-12 appearances across four different playoff runs. He was lights-out with the Dodgers and Astros, tossing six scoreless innings over three postseasons with those clubs.
His most recent October outing, though, came with Seattle, where he struggled, allowing five earned runs in 2.2 innings over three games. Still, the body of work speaks louder than one rough stretch.
He’s been there, and that matters in a clubhouse where postseason experience is still at a premium.
Ferguson doesn’t get caught up in the moment. Whether it’s the third inning or the ninth, he brings the same approach every time he takes the ball.
“Not to be generic or cliche, but I’ve always said this about my career: I never try to put too much stock into the situation that I’m pitching in,” he said. “Whether my job is in the third inning, the ninth inning, the seventh inning-I don’t really try to put a ton of stock in what inning I’m pitching in. At the end of the day, my job is to get outs and to get them as efficiently as I can.”
That mindset could be a stabilizing force for a Reds bullpen that’s still taking shape. Ferguson joins a group that’s looking to build on the momentum of 2025, when Cincinnati reached the postseason but was quickly bounced in two games by the eventual champion Dodgers.
From a financial standpoint, Ferguson’s deal is part of a carefully calculated offseason for the Reds. The club has committed $15.8 million in 2026 payroll to three free agent signings so far this winter, and they’re nearing the edge of their budget, which is expected to hover in the $115 million to $119 million range-similar to last season.
With eight players already under contract for 2026 at a combined $40.8 million (rising to $52.8 million when factoring in the $12 million they ate releasing Jeimer Candelario), plus an estimated $40 million to $50 million in arbitration salaries, the Reds are working with limited flexibility. That leaves less than $10 million of room to round out the roster unless they move salary via trade.
Still, the front office has made it clear: this team is aiming to build on last year’s progress, and Ferguson is a key part of that puzzle. His presence gives the bullpen a new look, and his experience gives a young team another voice that’s been through the battles of October.
For Ferguson, it’s simple. He wants to win. And in Cincinnati, he sees a team that’s ready to do just that.