Reds Pivot Rotation, Designate Leibrandt and Richardson in Bullpen Overhaul

The Reds announced Thursday they have designated left-hander Brandon Leibrandt and right-hander Lyon Richardson for assignment, clearing two roster spots to select the contract of right-hander Zach McCambley and recall righty Luis Mey. The move telegraphs Cincinnati's intention to lean on fresh arms out of the pen rather than carry aging or underperforming relief options.

Leibrandt and Richardson had fallen out of favor in the Reds' bullpen usage—a clear indicator that the organization sees neither pitcher as part of the near-term rotation solution. By contrast, McCambley's contract selection and Mey's recall suggest the front office expects both to absorb meaningful innings in relief situations. McCambley and Mey now own the bullpen leverage that Leibrandt and Richardson had lost, which means their pitch usage, leverage-spot deployment, and strikeout volume will likely tick upward in the weeks following this move.

For Cincinnati's pitching slate, this is a bullpen thinning that doesn't immediately alter the team's starter rotation—but it does clarify who management trusts in high-leverage spots. When a relief pitcher is designated rather than optioned, it's a statement that the team has lost confidence in their ability to contribute at the major league level. Leibrandt and Richardson, once promising prospects or stopgap arms, now face waiver claims or minor league reassignment, freeing the Reds to deploy McCambley and Mey in consecutive games without the roster crunch that previously limited their availability.

From a prop-betting lens, the key shift is McCambley's and Mey's expanded role. Both pitchers will see increased opportunity in middle-relief or lower-leverage situations—the exact contexts where strikeout rates can inflate relative to their season averages if velocity and stuff play up in the majors. Watch for McCambley and Mey strikeout lines to appear at sharper odds in the days following lineup publication; if either pitcher enters a game in which Cincinnati is ahead or tied late, their K ceiling expands. Conversely, any prop markets still pricing Leibrandt or Richardson assume they remain on the Reds' active roster, which they no longer are. If you encounter old lines on either pitcher, that's pure waste.

The Reds' bullpen composition matters for team total unders as well. Depleting the pen of two bodies—even underperforming ones—means the remaining relievers absorb more innings, leading to fatigue and elevated ERA by week three or four. Monitor Cincinnati's team totals in their next four-game set; if sportsbooks haven't adjusted for bullpen depth erosion, unders on 4.0 or 4.5 runs gain value as the Reds face quality arms without fresh rest options.