The Cincinnati Reds made key additions to their 40-man roster today, securing right-handed reliever Luis Mey and infielder/outfielder Tyler Callihan to avoid exposing them to the Rule 5 draft. In addition, the previously anticipated roster move was finalized, as Nick Martinez officially accepted the Reds’ qualifying offer. With these moves, Cincinnati’s 40-man roster now stands at 39 players.
Luis Mey emerged as a breakout player in 2024. The 23-year-old reliever began the season in High-A Dayton with the Dragons before advancing to Double-A Chattanooga. Across both levels, he recorded a 3.44 ERA over 55 innings, notched nine saves, allowed no home runs, issued 43 walks, and struck out 63 batters. Mey then excelled in the Arizona Fall League, delivering 8.2 innings of scoreless, one-hit baseball with eight strikeouts and six saves in as many opportunities for the Glendale Desert Dogs.
Mey’s greatest challenge is improving his command, as his high walk rate could hinder his path to the majors. However, his velocity is a standout strength. Topping out at 103 MPH in 2024, he was one of only five minor leaguers to hit that mark. In the AFL, Mey threw 47 of the 50 hardest pitches and all 30 pitches that exceeded 100 MPH. His lively 2-seam fastball has also generated strong groundball rates over the last two years.
The addition of Tyler Callihan was less of a certainty compared to Mey. In 2024, Callihan started slowly at Double-A Chattanooga, hitting just .159/.213/.261 through the first month. However, he found his rhythm in early May and went on a tear, hitting .335/.426/.514 over 206 plate appearances. His season was interrupted by a 10-week injury from June to August, but he finished strong, including a brief stint in Triple-A Louisville.
Callihan also impressed in the Arizona Fall League, batting .263/.337/.425 over 19 games for Glendale. While primarily a second baseman throughout his career, he has shifted away from third base in recent years and has started to gain experience in left field, logging 33 games there during the regular season and fall league.
These roster moves reflect the Reds’ strategic planning to bolster their depth and protect key talent.
Leave a Reply