The Reds have signed left-hander Brandon Leibrandt to a minor league deal, as indicated on his MLB.com player page.
Leibrandt, 31, was drafted by the Phillies in the sixth round of the 2014 draft. He progressed through their minor league system, reaching Triple-A in 2018. However, an injury sidelined him for the entire 2019 season, leading to his release before the 2020 season. The Marlins picked him up in July 2020, and he made his MLB debut the following month.
During the shortened 2020 season, Leibrandt pitched nine innings across five appearances for the Marlins, allowing just two runs but struggling with control. He posted a 19.4% walk rate and an 8.3% strikeout rate, resulting in a 4.86 FIP. He has not pitched in the majors since.
After being outrighted by the Marlins post-2020, Leibrandt remained with the organization in 2021, pitching at Double-A and Triple-A with a combined 5.68 ERA in 21 appearances. In 2022, he signed a minor league deal with the Cubs before moving to the independent Atlantic League, where he pitched for the High Point Rockers. There, he impressed with a 2.70 ERA and a 23.8% strikeout rate over 80 innings, walking just 8% of batters.
The Reds, intrigued by his performance, have signed Leibrandt as upper-level pitching depth. With solid upper-level pitching options like Connor Phillips and Lyon Richardson, Leibrandt could serve as a multi-inning lefty out of the bullpen if his strong independent league results carry over to affiliated ball.
