The Reds have turned to Cleveland to fill one of the biggest openings on their staff, naming Joe Torres as their new Major League pitching coach on Wednesday.
Torres arrives from the Guardians, where he had been serving as assistant pitching coach. His path through the organization stretches back to 2017, when he started in the Arizona Complex League. Two years later, he moved up to pitch for Cleveland’s High-A affiliate, and after the 2019 season he became the club’s minor league pitching coordinator.
He later joined Terry Francona’s staff as assistant pitching coach in 2022 and stayed in that role after Stephen Vogt replaced Francona in Cleveland following Tito’s initial retirement at the end of the 2023 season.
Torres also brings a playing background that didn’t end in the majors. He was a former first-round draft pick of the then-Anaheim Angels in 2000, but never reached the big leagues and retired from professional baseball in 2013.
For Cincinnati, the hire comes after plenty of speculation about who would step in for Derek Johnson. Current Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis was considered a candidate, and the Reds also interviewed assistant pitching coach Matt Tracy and bullpen coach Oscar Marin. Instead, the club went outside the organization and brought in Torres from Cleveland.
Johnson’s exit left a notable void. He had joined David Bell’s staff in 2018 after previously working as Craig Counsell’s right-hand man with the Milwaukee Brewers. He was later named the Reds Director of Pitching, then took a leave of absence this summer before Nick Krall announced after the 2026 season that the two sides had parted ways.
Now Torres inherits a staff that badly needs a reset. The Reds led the league with 668 walks last season, finished 25th in strikeout rate, and posted a 4.84 ERA and 4.82 FIP that sat just ahead of the Athletics and Colorado Rockies. The assignment is clear, and the margin for error is thin.
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