The Reds have re-signed reliever Ian Gibaut to a minor league contract, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. Gibaut, a client of Wasserman, will join major league camp as a non-roster invitee.
At 31 years old, Gibaut has spent over two seasons with Cincinnati. He was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers midway through the 2022 season and posted a 4.67 ERA across 33 appearances for the remainder of the year. The Reds kept him on the roster, and he had his best season in 2023, recording a career-low 3.33 ERA over a career-high 75 2/3 innings.
However, his 2024 season was disrupted by injury. Gibaut dealt with a nerve issue in his forearm, leading to surgery in May. He returned from the 60-day injured list in the final week of the season and pitched two innings, allowing one run and striking out a batter. Due to his injury-plagued year, the Reds chose not to keep him on the 40-man roster and opted to non-tender him instead of offering him an $800K arbitration deal.
Now, Gibaut will get a chance to prove himself in camp. His velocity was slightly down during his limited MLB appearances last year, averaging 93.6 MPH on his fastball after previously sitting above 95 MPH. That drop in speed is understandable given his forearm issues, but if his offseason recovery allows him to regain some of that velocity, he could compete for a spot in the bullpen’s middle innings.
The Reds have six relievers almost guaranteed to make the Opening Day roster if healthy: Alexis Díaz, Brent Suter, Sam Moll, Tony Santillan, Emilio Pagán, and trade acquisition Taylor Rogers. Nick Martinez may either be part of the rotation or return to a multi-inning relief role. Gibaut joins Bryan Shaw and Alex Young as non-roster invitees with MLB experience. These players can’t be optioned, meaning if the Reds add any of them to the 40-man roster, they’ll need to remain in the majors or be designated for assignment.
