Cincinnati Reds reliever Joe La Sorsa recently exercised his upward mobility clause. Although other teams showed interest, La Sorsa is staying with the Reds, and according to MLB insider Ari Alexander, the team intends to add the left-hander to its 40-man roster.
The Reds have an open spot on the 40-man roster following last week’s trade of Alexis DÃaz to the Los Angeles Dodgers. While La Sorsa has had mixed results with Triple-A Louisville, he impressed with increased velocity during spring training and into the season.
Alexander noted that La Sorsa won’t be activated before the Reds’ upcoming game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Since he still has minor-league options, the Reds can select his contract and then option him back to Triple-A, allowing the current bullpen to remain intact.
Reds refuse to lose underrated reliever Joe La Sorsa despite rival interest
Joe La Sorsa has logged 20 â…” innings this season at Triple-A Louisville, posting a solid 3.92 ERA. However, his 5.02 FIP suggests underlying concerns, including an equal number of walks and strikeouts. Opponents are hitting just .181 against him, and he’s done well to limit home runs (0.44 HR/9), but it’s still unlikely he’ll be added directly to the active roster right away.
The Reds already have two effective left-handers—Brent Suter and Taylor Rogers—on their 26-man roster, with additional depth in the minors in Sam Moll and Reiver Sanmartin, who owns a 3.74 ERA over 17 appearances for the Bats.
With a vacancy on the 40-man roster, Cincinnati risks nothing by adding La Sorsa. It boosts their organizational depth, providing a safety net in case of injury to one of their key lefties or as a contingency plan if they trade bullpen pieces later this summer.
La Sorsa isn’t expected to play a major role for the Reds this season, but pitching depth is always valuable. Given his past MLB experience—16 appearances and a career 4.58 ERA—he’s a likely candidate for a call-up sometime later in the year.
