The Reds should take a risk and sign this rehabbing right-handed reliever
The Reds might do well to take a flier on former Mariners relief pitcher Penn Murfee.
Penn Murfee has been with three different organizations over the past two months. Perhaps the Cincinnati Reds could offer the 29-year-old a more permanent home.
Murfee is a Vanderbilt alum who also pitched for Santa Clara University before being drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 33rd round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Murfee has 80 major league appearances under his belt, but could miss the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery late last season. Should the Reds take a flier on the rehabbing right-handed reliever?
The Reds should take a risk and sign Penn Murfee
Penn Murfee has a solid track record during his first two major league seasons, The right-hander owns a 2.70 ERA and 27.9-percent strikeout-rate according to FanGraphs. Murfee, however, did struggle with walks in 2023, posting an unsightly 17.2-percent walk-rate.
But, for his career, Murfee has typically limited the free passes. In 2022, Murfee walked just 18 batters in 69.1 innings of work while striking out 76.
Murfee underwent Tommy John surgery in June after tearing his UCL. Typical return time from such an injury is about 12 months, so there’s a chance that Murfee could return sometime after the 2024 All-Star break.
