The Cincinnati Reds are in the middle of a roller coaster ride of a season. They got off to one of the best starts in recent memory, but it quickly went south after the first full month of the season.
The Reds quickly fell down the standings and haven't recovered since. They've been near the bottom of the National League Central for the last few months, and they currently sit a few games under .500.
As a result, the Reds have made some changes to their roster. First, they opted to place Eugenio Surez and TJ Friedl on waivers, but both went unclaimed and returned to the Reds' roster. Recently, they opted to designate Sam Moll for assignment. On Tuesday, they received more news on Moll's future.
Aug 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Sam Moll (50) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post , Moll elected free agency and is now a free agent. The team hasn't announced the move yet, so the details of the move are still a bit murky.
Moll has been with the Reds for the last four years. He's tossed 137 innings over these four years in Cincinnati while posting a 3.88 ERA. For the most part, the lefty has been good in the Queen City, but he's struggled this year. He has a -0.3 WAR across 56 1/3 innings. Moll is 2-7 with a WHIP over 1.40 after posting an ERA well over 6.00 last season. After a successful first year and a half in Cincinnati, the southpaw's production fell off a cliff. Now the Reds are moving in a different direction and the veteran lefty seems to be content with it.
The Reds have cut ties with two of their left-handed relievers this season. They traded Caleb Ferguson at the trade deadline, and Moll has elected free agency. These two moves magnify the issues that the Reds are having with their bullpen this year. Everything that could go wrong in the bullpen has gone wrong. They're going to need to completely revamp the bullpen from the ground up going forward, or else they won't be able to compete for the postseason.
Moll might be able to find a home down the stretch for any team looking for a lefty specialist.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/reds/onsi as Reds Lose 7-Year Veteran Pitcher to Free Agency After Recent DFA .
