Lorenzen, Castillo among 6 to reach deals with Reds

Published Jan. 16, 2021 1:22 a.m. ET

Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Reds reached one-year deals with all six of their arbitration-eligible players on Friday, agreeing with pitcher and outfielder Michael Lorenzen at $4,437,500 and with right-hander Luis Castillo at $4.2 million.

Cincinnati also agreed with outfielder Jesse Winker at $3.15 million, right-hander Tyler Mahle at $2.2 million, left-hander Amir Garrett at $1.5 million and right-hander Noé Ramirez at $1,175,000.

With Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer expected to sign elsewhere and depending on other offseason moves the Reds make, Lorenzen could be a candidate for the starting rotation. The 29-year-old righty is 22-21 with a 3.97 ERA in five seasons with Cincinnati. He can also play outfield and pinch hit. He was 3-1 with a 4.21 ERA in 18 games in 2020. He collected $1,379,630 from a prorated $3,725,000 salary.

Castillo, 28, had a breakout season in 2019, earning the nod as opening day starter, making the All-Star team and finishing 15-8 with a 3.40 ERA and 226 strikeouts in 190 2/3 innings. He wasn’t as effective in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, going 4-6 with 3.21 ERA, but was tied for 12th among major league pitchers with 89 strikeouts. He made $245,741 in 2020 based on a prorated salary of $663,500.

The left-handed-hitting Winker got consistent playing time as a designated hitter last season and socked 12 home runs in 149 plate appearances after slugging 16 in twice as many at-bats in 2019. The 27-year-old batted .255 with 23 RBIs in 2020. In four seasons with the Reds he has a .280 average with 42 homers and 119 RBIs. He collected $224,074 prorated from a $605,000 salary in 2020.

The 26-year-old Mahle has been a starter for the Reds since 2017. He has a career 13-25 record with a 4.68 ERA and 313 strikeouts in 309 1/3 innings. In 2020 he was 2-2 in nine starts with a 3.59 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings. Mahle collected $225,849 of a prorated $609,793 salary last season.

With Raisel Iglesias traded to the Angels for salary relief, the 28-year-old Garrett will compete to be the Reds' closer in 2021. After breaking in as a starting pitcher with Cincinnati in 2017, he’s been a reliever for the past three seasons with a 3.65 ERA in 158 appearances. He was 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 21 games last season. Left-handed batters hit just .043 against him and struck out 12 times. He collected $220,370 in 2020 based on a prorated salary of $595,000.

Ramirez, a 31-year-old reliever, came to Cincinnati from the Angels as part of the deal that sent Iglesias to Los Angeles. Ramirez also had a previous stint with the Red Sox. In his six-year career he is 13-10 with a 4.18 ERA in 211 innings. He was 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA for the Angels over 21 innings in 2020. He made $333,333 of a prorated $900,000 salary.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports