Astros give up on 25-year-old pitcher - Reds can take him back
Astros give up on 25-year-old pitcher - Reds can take him back originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Cincinnati Reds lost bullpen depth during the offseason, watching the Houston Astros select one of their right-handers in the annual Rule 5 Draft.
The Reds left Roddery Munoz unprotected. Houston took a gamble on the 25-year-old from the Dominican Republic, who has a 7.10 career ERA in 30 Major League outings (17 starts).
Munoz's poor numbers on the mound could be a major reason Cincinnati was comfortable with letting another club snag him in the draft. But after striking out 16 batters in 10 spring training innings with the Astros, Munoz could be headed back to the Reds.
According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic , the Astros have placed Munoz on outright waivers.
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"If any club claims him, they would also be bound by the Rule 5 parameters," Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors wrote this afternoon. "If he clears waivers, he would have to be offered back to the Reds, who could assign him to the minors without putting him on the 40-man roster."
If Munoz clears waivers, he will get another chance to show the Reds what he's capable of. He made just three appearances with the Astros and allowed seven earned runs, including three homers, in three innings.
