The Cincinnati Reds made a notable move to bolster their bullpen, swinging a three-team deal with the Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays that sent infielder Gavin Lux packing and brought in left-hander Brock Burke. The 27-year-old southpaw is coming off a solid season with the Angels, where he posted a 3.36 ERA across 69 appearances. Now, he’s expected to be a key high-leverage option for manager Terry Francona heading into 2026.
Burke’s arrival adds another dependable lefty to the mix, joining offseason free-agent signing Caleb Ferguson at the back end of the Reds’ bullpen. And while that duo gives Cincinnati a more formidable late-inning presence from the left side, it also casts serious doubt on Sam Moll’s future with the club.
For Moll, the writing may already be on the wall.
Just a couple of years ago, Moll was seen as a sneaky-good deadline pickup - in fact, the only move the Reds made at the 2023 trade deadline. But he made that lone transaction count, delivering a lights-out second half with just two earned runs allowed over 24⅔ innings. His performance helped solidify a bullpen that was desperate for stability down the stretch.
Since then, though, it’s been a steep decline. Moll was quietly effective when healthy in 2024, putting up a 3.35 ERA in 37⅔ innings, but a left shoulder impingement cut his season short and required surgery.
That injury seemed to linger into 2025, where his command and consistency fell off a cliff. He logged just 18⅓ innings last season and was tagged for a rough 6.38 ERA.
Eventually, his struggles earned him a ticket back to Triple-A in early September, leaving Brent Suter as the lone lefty in the Reds bullpen during a critical stretch run.
Despite the downturn, Moll wasn’t non-tendered this offseason - a bit of a surprise considering the trajectory. He remains under contract on a one-year, $875,000 deal, which is a budget-friendly number for a veteran left-hander.
But the catch? He’s out of minor-league options.
That means if he doesn’t break camp with the big-league club, the Reds would have to expose him to waivers to send him down - and there’s no guarantee he’d clear.
So now, with Burke and Ferguson in the fold and the bullpen picture tightening, Moll finds himself in a high-stakes spring training. His path to the Opening Day roster isn’t impossible, but it’s narrow. He’ll need to show the Reds - and Francona - that he’s not only healthy, but still capable of getting big-league hitters out with consistency.
The Reds are clearly reshaping their bullpen with an eye on reliability and late-game execution. Burke fits that mold. Moll, for now, is fighting to prove he still does too.