Who’s In, Who’s Out, Who Closes? Mapping Cincinnati’s 2026 Bullpen Battle

As the Reds look ahead to the 2026 season, the bullpen stands out as one of the most reshaped areas on the roster. An offseason built around strategic additions and evolving internal roles has given Cincinnati a relief corps that feels deeper, more versatile, and better aligned with the club’s competitive timeline. With new arms entering the mix and returning relievers competing for leverage spots, the battle to define innings — from the middle frames to the ninth — will be one of the most intriguing storylines of spring. In this bullpen outlook, we’ll break down the Reds’ offseason moves, examine how the current pieces fit together, and project what the relief hierarchy could look like once Opening Day arrives.

New Signings

The Reds approached the offseason with a clear goal: add depth without sacrificing flexibility. Rather than pursuing a single marquee closer, Cincinnati reshaped the bullpen through a mix of external signings, a key trade acquisition, and internal continuity — creating a relief group that projects deeper and more matchup-driven heading into 2026.

Caleb Ferguson arrives on a one-year, $4.5 million deal as a much-needed left-handed presence in a bullpen that leaned heavily right-handed at times last season. Ferguson brings a ground-ball oriented profile and an ability to neutralize left-handed hitters, giving Cincinnati another reliable bridge option in the sixth and seventh innings. His 2025 season included a midyear trade that highlighted his value to contenders, as he was moved at the deadline in exchange for a pair of mid-tier prospects — both ranked outside the acquiring club’s organizational top-10 at the time — underscoring how teams viewed him as a stabilizing late-season bullpen piece rather than a long-term cornerstone. For the Reds, the appeal lies in his ability to generate weak contact and provide balance alongside the club’s right-handed leverage arms.

Pierce Johnson adds another experienced option after signing a one-year, $6.5 million contract that includes a mutual option for 2027. A proven swing-and-miss reliever, Johnson profiles as a flexible leverage arm capable of pitching anywhere from the seventh inning through high-leverage setup spots. His ability to miss bats gives the Reds a different look compared to some of their contact-oriented relievers, and his postseason experience adds a veteran presence to a bullpen that continues to blend youth with established arms.

One of the more intriguing additions didn’t come via free agency but through the Gavin Lux trade, which brought left-hander Brock Burke into the organization. Burke offers a unique profile as a multi-inning capable reliever with late-game upside, and his presence adds another layer of flexibility to how Cincinnati can deploy its bullpen. At his best, Burke has shown the ability to generate strikeouts while handling heavier workloads than a traditional one-inning reliever — a skill set that could allow him to fill portions of the multi-inning role vacated by departing veterans while still providing matchup value against left-handed hitters.

Perhaps the most important move, however, was maintaining continuity at the back end. Emilio Pagán returns on a two-year, $20 million contract after emerging as a stabilizing force in the ninth inning last season. Retaining Pagán preserves a clear bullpen hierarchy, allowing new additions like Johnson, Ferguson, and Burke to slot into complementary roles rather than forcing a complete reshuffling of late-inning responsibilities.

Together, these moves reflect a bullpen strategy built on balance: Ferguson and Burke strengthen the left-handed mix, Johnson adds swing-and-miss depth, and Pagán’s return anchors the group with late-inning stability — giving the Reds multiple pathways to navigate high-leverage situations throughout the season.

Departures: Veterans Moving On

While the Reds focused on reshaping the bullpen with targeted additions, a pair of veteran relievers from last year’s group moved on to new opportunities this winter. Cincinnati declined the 2026 club options for both Brent Suter and Scott Barlow early in the offseason, signaling a shift toward reallocating innings and payroll flexibility within the relief corps.

Brent Suter lands with the Los Angeles Angels on a one-year, $1.25 million contract after serving as one of the Reds’ most versatile arms a season ago.  Suter’s value rarely showed up through overpowering stuff, but his ability to absorb innings made him a quietly important piece of the pitching staff. He frequently worked in long relief and occasionally functioned as an opener, bridging games when the rotation fell short or when matchups dictated a creative bullpen strategy. His departure removes a dependable multi-inning option — a role that now appears likely to be redistributed among younger swingmen or newly added veterans.

Scott Barlow, meanwhile, signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Athletics after Cincinnati opted not to exercise his club option.  Barlow brought flashes of swing-and-miss upside during his time with the Reds, operating primarily in middle-inning and setup situations. Even when results fluctuated, his experience in high-leverage spots — including a previous closing background — provided stability for a bullpen that leaned heavily on defined roles. Moving on from Barlow opens additional opportunities for newer additions and internal arms to claim leverage innings, reinforcing the club’s broader effort to reshape the late-game hierarchy.

Together, the exits of Suter and Barlow don’t represent a teardown so much as a recalibration. Cincinnati replaces durability and experience with a slightly different mix of profiles, betting that added depth and defined roles can recreate — and potentially elevate — last year’s bullpen production.

Mapping the Opening Day Bullpen

Closer	Emilio Pagán	R
Setup/Fireman	Tony Santillan	R
High Leverage	Graham Ashcraft	R
Middle Relief	Pierce Johnson	R
Lefty	Brock Burke	L
Lefty	Caleb Ferguson	L
Low Leverage	Connor Phillips	R
Low Leverage	Zach Maxwell	R

With Emilio Pagán anchoring the ninth inning, the overall structure of this bullpen starts to come into focus quickly. Pagán’s presence allows the Reds to define roles more naturally rather than forcing a committee approach late in games. Behind him, Tony Santillan and Graham Ashcraft project as the primary leverage weapons, giving Cincinnati two power arms capable of attacking the heart of opposing lineups before the game reaches the closer. Santillan’s ability to operate as a true fireman — entering with traffic or in the highest-leverage pockets — complements Ashcraft’s transition into a more defined bullpen role where his velocity and heavy sinker can play up in shorter bursts.

The middle innings appear built around flexibility. Pierce Johnson provides a veteran stabilizer who can bridge games when leverage spikes earlier than expected, while Brock Burke and Caleb Ferguson give the Reds two different looks from the left side. Burke’s ability to stretch into multi-inning outings offers roster versatility that replaces some of last year’s length, while Ferguson profiles as more of a matchup-driven option capable of neutralizing left-handed bats in key moments. Together, that trio gives manager Terry Francona multiple pathways to navigate the sixth and seventh innings without overexposing any single arm.

That leaves the final bullpen spots, where Connor Phillips and Zach Maxwell project as the last two pitchers to crack the roster — and potentially the most fluid pieces of the group. Phillips brings starter’s durability and swing-and-miss stuff, making him a logical low-leverage or multi-inning option who can absorb innings when games get out of hand or when the rotation exits early. His role could evolve quickly if he finds consistency in shorter bursts, but early on he profiles as a developmental arm within a defined bullpen structure.

Maxwell, meanwhile, represents more of a power upside play. The organization has long been intrigued by his raw velocity and late-inning potential, and breaking camp with the club would signal confidence in his ability to translate that stuff into consistent major league results. As the second low-leverage arm, Maxwell likely starts in situations designed to manage workload and ease him into big-league rhythm, but his profile gives him one of the wider ranges of outcomes in the group. If his command holds, he could quickly push himself into higher-leverage conversations as the season progresses.

Fringe Arms to Watch

Even with a projected eight-man bullpen coming into focus, several intriguing arms sit just outside the picture — and their situations could shape how fluid this group remains throughout the season. Luis Mey and Sam Moll represent the immediate 40-man depth options, while non-roster invitees Yúnior Marte and Lyon Richardson add additional competition as camp unfolds.

Moll’s situation may be the most important to monitor, particularly because he is out of minor league options. That roster reality puts pressure on the Reds’ decision-making; if Moll does not break camp with the major league club, Cincinnati would need to expose him to waivers, creating the risk of losing a left-handed arm for nothing. When healthy, Moll has shown the ability to generate weak contact and handle matchup-heavy innings, and his experience could make him an early call-up candidate if the club decides to carry a different bullpen mix on Opening Day. The front office’s balancing act will be determining whether his profile fits better than one of the projected lefties already slotted into the bullpen.

Luis Mey offers a very different type of depth — one built on raw velocity and developmental upside. His power arsenal makes him an intriguing alternative if the Reds decide they want another swing-and-miss option waiting in Triple-A, particularly if injuries or workload concerns arise among the high-leverage arms. Mey may not open the season in Cincinnati, but his profile gives him a strong chance to factor into the bullpen picture at some point during the year.

Among the non-roster invitees, both Yúnior Marte and Lyon Richardson present interesting upside plays. Marte brings previous late-inning experience and could force his way into the conversation if he shows improved command this spring, while Richardson’s transition toward shorter outings has the potential to unlock another layer of bullpen depth for the organization. Neither is guaranteed a roster spot out of camp, but strong performances could quickly change the calculus — especially if injuries or early-season volatility create openings.

Ultimately, this fringe group highlights the Reds’ improved bullpen depth compared to a year ago. While Connor Phillips and Zach Maxwell project as the final arms to make the Opening Day roster, Moll’s out-of-options status and the upside of Mey, Marte, and Richardson ensure that the relief picture remains fluid well beyond the first week of the season.