The Cincinnati Reds have agreed to terms on a contract with right-handed reliever Pierce Johnson, sources say, as they continue to bolster their bullpen this offseason. The 34-year-old Johnson became a free agent after the Atlanta Braves declined his $7 million option for 2026. The deal is pending a physical and has not yet been confirmed by the club.
Cincinnati's front office has prioritized reloading the bullpen following several free-agent departures after the 2025 season. Key losses included closer Emilio Pagán, right-handers Scott Barlow and Nick Martinez, and left-hander Brent Suter. To address these gaps, the Reds first reunited with Pagán on a two-year, $20 million contract in December. They followed that with a one-year, $4.5 million deal for free-agent left-hander Caleb Ferguson a few weeks later.
The latest addition is Pierce Johnson, who spent the past three seasons with the Braves. In 2025, the 34-year-old right-hander appeared in 65 games, posting a 3-3 record with a 3.05 ERA and a 1.203 WHIP. He became available on the free-agent market when Atlanta declined his club option.
Over eight MLB seasons with the Cubs, Giants, Padres, Rockies, and Braves, Johnson has made 330 appearances with a career 3.79 ERA. While he has generally not shown significant platoon splits, his 2025 performance highlighted a disparity: he limited right-handed batters to a .622 OPS with a 40-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio, but lefties hit .800 against him with 19 strikeouts and 16 walks.
Johnson's signature pitch is his curveball, which he threw 72.1 percent of the time in 2025—more than 20 percentage points ahead of any other major league pitcher. He pairs it with a mid-90s four-seam fastball elevated in the zone and a sparingly used cutter.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Diamondbacks remain in search of bullpen stability, with reports indicating prior interest in Johnson during his free agency.
