Joe La Sorsa, a left-handed reliever, signed a minor-league deal with the Reds ahead of 2025 after being released by the Washington Nationals.
His contract reportedly guaranteed him ~$760,000 for the year in the majors. Spotrac+1
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In the big-leagues for Cincinnati in 2025:
- He appeared in 4 games at the MLB level, tossing 5.2 innings, with an ERA of 18.00 and a WHIP of 2.12.
- He was frequently optioned to and recalled from Triple-A (Louisville Bats), indicating he was viewed as organizational depth rather than firmly established.
In the minors, his performance was better:
- For Louisville, for example, he posted a 3.92 ERA with a 1.34 WHIP across ~20.2 innings in one stint.
- Statcast data shows some troubling advanced metrics when he pitched in the majors: high barrel % and elevated expected wOBA. baseballsavant.com
What worked & what didn’t
What worked:
- Depth value: La Sorsa provided a left‐handed option in the bullpen for the Reds, which is always in demand. His minor-league results suggest he can be effective at lower levels.
- Physical profile: At 6’5″ and with a lefty arm, he has the frame and basic tools to intrigue organisations seeking bullpen pieces.
What didn’t:
- MLB performance struggles: The small sample in the big leagues saw a very high ERA and WHIP, and his advanced metrics (barrels, hard‐hit rate) were problematic when he faced major-league hitters.
- Strikeout rate: His strikeout numbers remain modest, making it more difficult for him to succeed long‐term as a relief specialist in today’s game which favours high K/9.
- Roster instability: Being optioned frequently suggests he had not yet locked down a consistent role at the major-league level.
Transaction & status update
- The Reds designated La Sorsa for assignment on September 2, 2025.
- He elected free agency following that.
- On September 6, 2025 he signed a minor‐league deal with the New York Mets.
Per Jon Morosi, he is signing an MiLB deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates and will have an invite to their major league spring training. The Reds will be losing more of their pitching depth that they believe is expendable, even though they made that decision way back in September!
