The Reds have spent much of the winter bolstering their pitching staff that ran into trouble late last year. Cincinnati already added Nick Martinez, Frankie Montas, and Emilio Pagan, and now the Reds can add Brent Suter to that mix.
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A Look at Suter
New Reds reliever Brent Suter doesn’t have premium velocity. His fastball does play up thanks to above-average extension (99th percentile per Statcast) but both his sinker and fastball only sit in the mid-to-high-80s.
However, fastball velocity is not the be-all of pitching, and Suter’s proved that. The 34-year-old posted a 3.38 ERA/1.30 WHIP and 55 strikeouts over 69.1 IP in 2023, marvelous numbers given that he pitched with the Rockies.
Suter’s got an unorthodox delivery. Between his come set point and Suter’s delivery, he brings deception and that’s helped him beat hitters throughout his career.
But on top of that, he’s got two secondary weapons — a changeup and slider — that have helped beat both lefties and righties. The changeup netted him a Whiff% of 39.5% last season against righties. It’s a pitch that sits in the mid-70s, far different from a typical changeup nowadays but one with fade and speed differential from the fastball.
Additionally, Suter made more use of the slider last season. It’s a pitch that got hitters to chase because of its appearance of late movement and vertical break, which can get hitters to bite should they think the pitch will stay on the inner half of the plate.
Now, Suter’s set to join a Reds bullpen flush with impressive righties, including newcomer and ex-Twin Emilio Pagan, Fernando Cruz, Lucas Sims, and closer Alexis Diaz. It’s reportedly a one-year deal worth $2.5MM with a team option for $3.5MM ($500K buyout) in 2025.
Analysis
The signing of Suter gives the Reds a third reliable lefty for the 2024 bullpen. Cincinnati already has Sam Moll and Alex Young, both of whom performed well for the Reds last season.
There was some speculation that Suter was drawing interest as a starter. However, the veteran lefty has been quite an effective reliever thanks to his deception and stuff. Not to mention, the 34-year-old does a strong job of keeping the ball in the park thanks in large part because of his sinker.
That’s an asset that should come in handy with the Reds, given that Great American Ballpark is a hitter-friendly environment.