Cincinnati Reds Must Not Re-Sign Sean Marshall This Offseason

The Cincinnati Reds have entered the final stretch of an overwhelmingly disappointing season. At 63-86, the Reds currently own the fifth-worst record in the league, which has many wondering — what kind of moves will the Reds make this offseason?

There are plenty of issues the Reds can address, but one that should be at the top of the list regards relief pitcher Sean Marshall. Since the Reds acquired him in a trade back in 2011, Marshall has only appeared in 104 games (31 over the past two seasons). What makes this worse is that he has been nothing but a financial blunder since the Reds signed him to a three-year extension worth $16.5 million in 2013. His hefty contract has been a pain for the Reds as they have been paying him to just sit around and rehab for the majority of the past two seasons.

There is good news for the Reds though, as Marshall is set to be a free agent at the end of this season. If they want to improve next season they need to just let him walk. Don’t think about re-signing him. The Reds are in no position to bank on the “potential” he holds if he is healthy. He has played a combined 31 games (24.1 innings) over the past two seasons. Those numbers speak volumes on his health.

Next season the Reds will trot out a young starting rotation and will need to have a healthy bullpen that is reliable. There will be plenty of  arms that would be a better investment than sticking with Marshall for another year or more. As the Reds finish the final stretch, they will have plenty of decisions to make. Let’s hope letting Marshall walk is one that has already been made.

Chad Troyan is a Cincinnati Reds writer. He also covers the NFL and NCAAF for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChadTroyan15, “Like”him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google