The Cincinnati Reds have designated veteran reliever Brooks Kriske for assignment. He made his debut on July 29th, 2020 with the Yankees. The Reds signed him to a minor league contract on December 21st, 2023. Kriske was designated to make room for recently signed first baseman Dominic Smith on the 40-man roster. He’s spent this season in the minors in Triple-A with and demonstrated consistency and dominance. In addition, Brooks has also played for the New York Yankees, the Kansas City Royals, and the Baltimore Orioles. He has also undergone Tommy John surgery early in his career in 2016.
Reds Designate Brooks Kriske For Assignment https://t.co/n29Ab4AJEm
— MLB on Scoreboard Page (@MLBonSP) August 22, 2024
Veteran Reds Reliever Gets Designated For Assignment
Kriske’s Successful Time In The Minors
Bases loaded & no outs
In comes @brooks_kriske & the rest is history
Clip of the Game ╳ @GreatClips pic.twitter.com/2QLnS3i1JX
— Louisville Bats (@LouisvilleBats) May 12, 2024
Kriske recorded a 5-0 record with a 3.10 ERA and 72 strikeouts across 49.1 innings of relief work. He was the type of bullpen pitcher put into high-leverage situations to help the Louisville Bats clean up messes made with runners getting on base. His strong suit in the pen kept his opponents high and dry and left on the bases. He was solid at banging out shutout innings. Also, in April of 2023, when Kriske was pitching for the Royals in Triple-A, he earned himself pitcher of the month with a 27.3% K-BB%. Overall, his minor career has been far more successful than his time in MLB.
Majors Career Not Linear With Success
The 30-year-old veteran’s MLB career hasn’t mirrored his success in the minors. In Kriske’s career in the majors, he owns a 2-1 record with an 11.22 ERA and 20 strikeouts across 21.2 innings pitched. Being designated for assignment is not his first rodeo, as he was designated by the Yankees back in 2021. In his debut, he started strong with the Yankees, recording two strikeouts and not allowing any runs against the Orioles. But his career with the Yankees has also been a hard pill to swallow. Specifically, Kriske made history on July 23rd, 2021, but not in a way he wants to remember. He was the first pitcher for the Yankees to pitch four or more wild pitches across one inning. Kriske’s damage caused the Yankees to lose to the Boston Red Sox with a final score of 5-4.
It was not a pretty sight and an unfortunate highlight in Kriske’s career. Even with his success in the minors, Kriske showcased his walk rate issues. Considering his inconsistencies, it makes sense that the Reds chose to designate him. However, with Kriske’s designation, another team can claim him once the Reds place him on waivers. Overall, with his success in the minors and, most prominently, his time with the Louisville Bats, Kriske is likely to be recognized and land with another team.
Main Photo Credits: Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
