Cincinnati Reds sign Scott Diamond to a minor league deal

The Cincinnati Reds have signed left-handed pitcher Scott Diamond to a minor league deal, sources have told Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Diamond was released over the weekend in order to clear up a roster spot on the Minnesota Twins’ Triple-A affiliate out of Rochester. The move made room for right-handed pitcher Trevor May. The former Twins’ starting pitcher will report to the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate in Louisville.

Scott Diamond, 27, started out this season at Triple-A Rochester, after losing out to right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson in his bid to claim the number five sport in the Twins’ starting rotation for 2014 during spring training. Diamond struggled majorly in the minors, posting a dim 6.52 ERA and 2.13 K/BB in eighty innings out of the rotation.

Scott Diamond was acquired originally by the Twins in the 2010 Rule 5 Draft after being left off of the 40-man roster by the Atlanta Braves. In his short major league career, spanning from 2011 to 2013, Diamond has recorded a 19-27 record, while tallying 342 innings, along with a 4.43 ERA, 1.44 K/BB, 1.4 WAR and a 4.46 FIP.

Over the last two seasons, he had spent most of his time in the major league rotation for the Twins. In his first complete season in 2012, he pitched in 173 innings, compiling a 12-9 record and an exceptional 3.54 ERA. That season he lead the league in walks per nine innings, allowing only 1.613, to go along with a 4.7 K/9, 2.4 WAR and 3.95 FIP. His performance dipped dramatically in 2013, as Diamond went 6-13 over 131 innings, posting a 5.43 ERA, 3.6 K/9 and a 2.5 B/9, all to go along with a horrific -1.0 WAR.

This acquisition does add left-handed pitching depth to their bullpen for the future, but in the meantime, he is an average addition to their minor league rotation.