NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 06: Heath Hembree of the Philadelphia Phillies prepares to pitch. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
The Cincinnati Reds agreed a minor-league contract with right-handed pitcher Heath Hembree on Monday. The former Boston Red Sox reliever gives the Reds something their coaching staff covets; a high spin-rate.
It should come as no surprise, that anytime Cincinnati pulls off a trade or under-the-radar signing, that players likely matches up very well with what the baseball operations department is looking for. Recently, the Reds have focused on landing pitchers with a high spin-rate.