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The MLB transaction schedule gets a bit wonky during the holiday season, especially around the waiver and claiming process. That made for an extra-anxious wait for both Keegan Thompson and Lyon Richardson when both were designated for assignment following the sigining of outfielder JJ Bleday and the acquisition of outfielder Dane Myers from the Miami Marlins.
Both Cincinnati Reds righties formerly had spots on the 40-man roster. The Reds deemed them as the two players whose roster spots were the most fungible, and so they were effectively booted off the roster in late December. Today, we finally found out what’ll happen to them.
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As MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed, Thompson was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Rockies, while Richardson cleared waivers and was outrighted to AAA Louisville.
Thompson’s career with the Reds will go down as a mere footnote seeing as he never pitched for them at any level following his split-contract contract signing in free agency back in November. Obviously, the Reds liked enough of what they saw of him last year with AAA Iowa in the Chicago Cubs organization to take a flier on him, but weren’t so enamored with him that they were afraid to use his roster spot in another way. Now, he’ll take his talents to the high altitude of Denver – good luck with that.
In Richardson, I think the Reds lucked out a bit. Obviously, their former 2nd round pick has been all over the map both at the AAA level and with the Reds in parts of the last three seasons, but the arm talent is still very much there when you watch him pitch. For a time during the 2025 season he was pitching in high leverage situations in games the Reds led, and owned a 1.85 ERA and 20/8 K/BB through his first 20 appearances (24.1 IP). The wheels fell off shortly thereafter, though, but he’s still just 25, still only has one full year of being a reliever exclusively under his belt, and at least has that short track record of success on a big league mound to lean back on.
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He’ll report to AAA after being outrighted since he does not have enough service time to reject the move. My guess is that he’s still very, very much in the plans of the Reds for 2026, but his hot/cold streak (and the fact that he’s out of options) meant they needed his roster spot enough to gamble on him. Now, they’ll have the chance to be patient with him and call him up when he’s either busted the door down or when an injury issue ahead of him on the depth chart gives him another shot.
Frankly, I’m pretty surprised the Rockies didn’t claim him, too, though as a Colorado resident for the last 14 years I should know by now to never be surprised at a Rockies decision.
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