More often than not, free agency is a time for players to say goodbye to a place they've called home for the past few years. Rafael Devers penned a heartfelt goodbye to former Boston Red Sox teammate Xander Bogaerts last week, while Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker became sad just thinking about the possibility of Dansby Swanson's departure. Nonetheless, free agency can also be a time for reunion, with the Cincinnati Reds interested in picking up Johnny Cueto after seven years apart.
According to Jon Morosi, the Reds are looking to bolster their starting rotation with a homegrown talent in Cueto. In 2022, the now 37-year old right-hander twirled 158.1 quality innings for the Chicago White Sox, tallying a 3.35 ERA across 24 starts.
Johnny Cueto signed with the Reds as an amateur free agent back in 2004, and he finally broke through to the majors four years later in 2008. Cueto doesn't possess the most nasty stuff or most pinpoint command, but his ability to keep hitters guessing has allowed him to stay in this league for so long.
He peaked with the Reds in 2014, when he went 20-9 across 34 starts, pitching to the tune of an incredible 2.25 ERA in 243.2 innings.
The Reds, en route to a 64-win season in 2015, dealt away Cueto to that year's eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals. Since then, Cueto spent six uneven years with the San Francisco Giants before regaining his form with the White Sox in 2022.
In fact, had Johnny Cueto played for the Reds in 2022, he would have led the team in WAR (per Fangraphs). Cueto may no longer be the pitcher he was in his prime, but he could still soak up some innings for a team in need of quality pitching.
Follow Us
Subscribe