Reds claim Ron Marinaccio and Chase Solesky off waivers as bullpen depth shuffle continues

The Cincinnati Reds pulled two fresh bullpen options from the waiver wire on Wednesday, announcing claims of right-handers Ron Marinaccio and Chase Solesky. The move comes after both pitchers were designated for assignment by their prior clubs, with Cincinnati stepping in to keep them in Major League Baseball’s immediate picture rather than letting the waiver process play out elsewhere.

Marinaccio was claimed from the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to the Reds announcement. The right-hander had been designated for assignment in recent days, a roster outcome that often indicates a team is trying to create flexibility in the short term. For Cincinnati, the claim represents an attempt to add another capable arm during the stretch run, when bullpen innings and leverage usage tend to rise.

Solesky’s path to Cincinnati ran through the Tampa Bay Rays. The Reds announced they claimed him off waivers as well, after he too was designated for assignment. In practical terms, Cincinnati is using the waiver market as a way to supplement its pitching group with pitchers who have recent Major League exposure, while the Reds’ own roster management creates the space needed to add them.

The transactions also reflect how roster capacity drives late-season moves. The Reds said they had one open spot on the 40-man roster when making the claims, and they opened another by transferring outfielder Blake Dunn to the 60-day injured list. Moving a player to the 60-day IL effectively removes him from the 40-man roster calculation, giving a team room to maneuver through claims, designations, and related paperwork.

For the Reds, claiming two pitchers on the same day is more than just collecting bodies. It points to an active approach to bullpen construction, with Cincinnati looking to increase its internal options for innings that can swing games during the final weeks of the schedule. Waiver claims also come with timing pressure, because teams can only keep players they acquire if they place them on the roster in time and maintain compliance with league roster rules.

Marinaccio and Solesky now join a Reds pitching staff in a state of flux, with Cincinnati having to decide how quickly to integrate them and where they fit in the bullpen usage plan. The claims do not, by themselves, guarantee long-term roles, but they do give the Reds immediate access to two arms who were available because their previous teams moved them off the active roster.

What to watch next is how Cincinnati handles the downstream domino effects of roster additions. Even after a team claims a player, subsequent steps can include further roster moves depending on who is optioned, designated, or moved to additional injury placements. The Reds also will likely look for early indicators in bullpen sessions and game appearances about whether either pitcher can stabilize high-leverage outs as the team balances workload through late August.

This story is based on the Reds’ announcement relayed by MLB Trade Rumors. For deeper context on how each claim reshaped the pitching staff and whether either pitcher was already part of Cincinnati’s internal target list, additional official transaction logs from the clubs and MLB would help confirm the full sequence and any additional related roster moves.