Cincinnati Reds rate Kiwi Glogoski as relief pitcher
He has a plus-pitch in his change-up that really stands out.
Reds director of player development Jeremy Farrell
A change in scenery is likely to bring a change in role for Kiwi pitcher Kyle Glogoski as he embarks on his first season as a member of the Cincinnati Reds baseball organisation.
The 24-year-old has until now worked primarily as a starter and had been progressing well through the minor leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies — making it as high as TripleA, one step below Major League Baseball.
However, the Phillies chose not to protect Glogoski ahead of the minor league phase of MLB’s Rule 5 draft late last year, allowing the Reds to sign him. In the Rule 5 draft, teams can take talent from their opposition if they feel they would better use the player.
Reds director of player development Jeremy Farrell told the Weekend Herald they expect to use Glogoski as a relief pitcher rather than a starter, with the club seeing him as an answer to some holes in their bullpen at Double-A.
“When we saw the Phillies didn’t protect him, he was a guy we flagged and targeted to compete for a spot on our Double-A team.
“He has a plus-pitch in his changeup that really stands out, so we’re happy to have him and anxious to get to know him when he gets to spring training.”
The move to Cincinnati presents opportunities for Glogoski, who is working towards becoming the first New Zealand-born player to make it to the majors, as they are a team built on player development.
One of the league’s smaller franchises, Farrell admitted they operated under the assumption they’re not luring $20 million-peryear superstar-level players in free agency, so maximising the potential within their franchise was a high priority.
That shows in the team’s MLB starting rotation for this season, starting in eight weeks. Three of the team’s five starting pitchers are 24 or younger and have come through the Reds’ minor league system after being drafted by the club.
That trend continues in their Major League bullpen, with many of their relievers having been drafted and developed by the organisation.
“We’re going to take it upon ourselves to develop players to the best of our abilities. That’s where we’re really trying to make an impact on our club here in the minor leagues is through development and helping each of our players become the best versions of themselves.”
Farrell said a developmental goal for Glogoski will be to add velocity to his fastball, which he throws around the 90mph (145km/h) mark.
While some starting pitchers excel at the highest level with a soft fastball, a fastball with a bit of bite is far more desirable, as that can help off-speed pitches have more success. Glogoski’s arsenal is built around his off-speed stuff; his change-up is his best weapon, while he throws a good curveball and has been improving his slider.
“When you look at the traits of his fastball, it has got some carry to it, it has characteristics that could make it an elite fastball — it just lacks the velocity right now,” Farrell said.
“Yes, that is a developmental goal for him, but at the same time, staying true to who he is — going out, throwing strikes, pitching and getting outs with what he has is what’s going to make him the most valuable to our organisation.”
While the Reds have Glogoski “pencilled in” as a candidate for their Double-A team leading into spring training this month, they will get a much better idea of what they have acquired in the young Kiwi hurler when able to see him in action those first few weeks and assess the level for which they believe he is best suited.
“Nothing’s out of the question. Right now, we have him pencilled in coming into camp to compete for a Double-A job, but we haven’t gotten eyes on him in person yet. We’ll get to know a lot in spring training and as the season progresses, and his performance, what he’s able to do and, quite frankly, our need is going to dictate where he ends up.”
Glogoski was back in New Zealand pitching for the Auckland Tuatara in the Australian Baseball League.
After qualifying second in the ABL’s four-team Northeast Division with a 17-17 record, the Tuatara lost their semifinal playoff series to Southwest champions the Adelaide Giants (25-15) last weekend. The Tuatara lost the first game 5-3 and won the second 2-0 before dropping the decider 4-2. The Giants play Perth Heat (23-17) in this weekend’s best-ofthree final after the West Australians upset top seeds the Brisbane Bandits (30-10) 2-1 in their semifinal series.