The Reds announced this afternoon that they’ve signed Darren McCaughan to a minor league contract. The righty will be in Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.
McCaughan is a 29-year-old swingman who has pitched parts of four seasons in the majors. He has a combined 20 appearances across four teams. The former 12th-round pick debuted with the Mariners in 2021 and has subsequently pitched for the Guardians, Marlins and Twins. He has a 6.02 earned run average with a 16.2% strikeout rate across 61 1/3 MLB innings.
The Long Beach State product spent the majority of the 2025 season with Minnesota’s Triple-A club. He started 12 of 26 appearances, tallying 97 frames of 5.10 ERA ball. McCaughan posted solid strikeout and walk numbers but was plagued by the longball, giving up 20 homers (nearly two per nine innings). Home runs have been an issue throughout his career, which isn’t surprising because he sits in the 89-90 MPH range with his sinker and four-seam fastball.
McCaughan has plus control and the versatility to pitch in different roles. He’s unlikely to break camp on a talented Cincinnati pitching staff but should be available as a non-roster depth option at Triple-A Louisville.