The Cincinnati Reds have the talent to be a postseason contender and, no, that's not an exaggeration. Cincinnati has a core built around Elly De La Cruz, who's one of the best young players in the league. De La Cruz hasn't broken out yet this season and it's only a matter of time before he does. Players like Gavin Lux, Austin Hays, and Tyler Stephenson are set to be major contributors down the stretch. But the bread and butter of this Reds team is the pitching staff.
Headlined by Hunter Greene, the Reds have one of the better staffs in baseball. Before landing on the injured list, Greene may have been the most dominant pitcher in the game. Besides one game in Baltimore, he's been near flawless on the season. The bullpen has looked solid, too, though it might lack one or two arms.
If Cincinnati is looking for an additional arm in the bullpen, it won't need to turn to the trade market to find it. The Reds have a flamethrower in the minor leagues and I'm willing to bet a lot of Reds fans have forgotten about him. Hint: it's not Zach Maxwell. It's Connor Phillips.
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Connor Phillips could be the Reds' next answer in the bullpen
The Reds brought up Phillips in 2023, and he struggled. Phillips had command issues he needed to fix, so the Reds sent him to Triple-A last season. But he was horrendous in 2024. The righty held an ERA over 8.00 while in Louisville, leading many Reds fans to write him off.
Coming into this season, something had to change or he would never see the big leagues again. And something did change: his role.
Phillips had made 90 professional appearances in his career before this season with 89 of them being starts. So far on the year, he's made three appearances for the Reds' High-A affiliate and each of them has come out of the bullpen. Phillips has looked dominant in this new role, even touching 101 MPH in his last outing.
Are the #Reds transitioning Connor Phillips to the bullpen?
— Chatterbox Sports (@CBoxSports) May 9, 2025
Phillips has made 3 rehab appearances with the Dayton Dragons, and all 3 have been in relief. Last night, Phillips came in for the 9th inning and hit 101 MPH!#RedsMiLBpic.twitter.com/5C0WBFlXB5
At this rate, he could be fast tracked back up the ranks of the minor leagues if he can stay in the zone and dominate hitters. It's a long journey back to the big leagues, but having been there already, Phillips could quickly make his way up the ladder in his new role.
The righty had no future in Cincinnati as a starter with the five big league starters, Rhett Lowder, Chase Burns, and Chase Petty clearly ahead of him.
The Reds have successfully transitioned Lyon Richardson from minor league starter to big league bullpen arm. They've transitioned Graham Ashcraft from struggling big league starter to excellent big league reliever. They can do the same thing with Phillips.