The Cincinnati Reds have placed a waiver claim on recently-released pitcher Alfredo Simon, the Orioles announced Tuesday.
The acquisition makes a lot of sense for the Reds, as they lost closer Ryan Madson for the season and will also start the 2012 season with Nick Masset on the disabled list. Sean Marshall will be the closer, with Simon joining Jose Arredondo and Logan Ondrusek as right-handed late-inning options. Aroldis Chapman and Bill Bray are the lefties in front of Marshall.
Simon, 30, is an imposing 6-foot-6. He had a 4.90 ERA and 1.45 WHIP with 83 strikeouts in 115 2/3 innings last season, when he made 16 starts. In 2010, he saved 17 games as the Orioles' closer for part of the season. Moving from the AL East to NL Central will provide somewhat a boost in Simon's numbers, but he's far from a shut-down pitcher. He's just depth for the Reds, a need that came about due to the aforementioned injuries.
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