DONE DEAL: “Welcome To Cincinnati” Cincinnati Reds click the back button on their browser, land talented infielder with 15.3% strikeout rate

The Cincinnati Reds have signed utility player Bryson Brigman to a minor league deal, assigning the 29-year-old to Triple-A Louisville.

Now, before you brush off this signing because of his age, consider this: in 2024, Brigman slashed an impressive .334/.383/.474 in Triple-A while with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.

Originally drafted by the Mariners in the third round in 2016, Brigman was traded to the Marlins in 2018. He later joined the Dodgers on a minor league contract after the 2022 season, then signed with Arizona for 2024.

Despite posting the highest batting average in Triple-A among players with at least 400 plate appearances, he didn’t land a contract with any MLB team and instead signed with the Caliente de Durango of the Mexican League in early February.

However, he never played a game there—Durango’s season hadn’t started yet when the Reds stepped in and purchased his contract.

So, what does Brigman bring to the table? In Triple-A last year, he had a 15.3% strikeout rate, ranking 27th out of 247 players with 300+ plate appearances—consistent with his career-long contact skills. He has solid, though not elite, speed, with only one 20-steal season (in 2018) to his name.

Power isn’t his game—his average exit velocity was just 84.3 MPH. Even so, 2024 marked career highs in both home runs (nine) and extra-base hits (30). He’s not a slugger, but he showed a bit more pop than usual.

Defensively, Brigman is versatile. He’s logged over 3,000 innings at second base and shortstop in the minors, and in recent years has added left and right field to his résumé across multiple organizations.

It may just be a depth move, but adding a player who hit .334 in Triple-A and can cover four different positions isn’t a bad pickup for organizational depth.