Suter is closing in on a major league deal with the Los Angeles Angels leaving the Reds with a hole in their rotation.
According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, the Angels and Brent Suter are nearing an agreement that would make him the fourth veteran reliever the club has signed this winter.
The 36-year-old spent the last two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and has been one of the more reliable middle-relief options in baseball over the past decade.
Despite never throwing hard, Suter has carved out a long career by limiting walks and hard contact, posting a 3.57 career ERA across 348 appearances and 597.1 innings.
For an Angels team that went 72-90 last season and posted the third-highest team ERA in baseball, adding a proven arm like Suter makes a lot of sense as they try to turn the page heading into 2026.
Suter's Time in Cincinnati
Suter signed with the Reds ahead of the 2024 season and quickly became a key part of their bullpen.
In his first year with Cincinnati, he made 47 appearances and pitched to a solid 3.15 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP over 65.2 innings while walking just 12 batters, and that earned him another deal heading into 2025.
Last season, Suter made 48 appearances and logged 67.2 innings for a Reds team that finished 83-79 and earned the final National League Wild Card spot.
His 4.52 ERA was a career-worst, but his advanced numbers told a different story.
His average exit velocity and extension both landed in the 99th percentile while his hard-hit percentage sat in the 96th percentile, which shows he was still doing what he does best.
Cincinnati declined his 2026 option in November, making him a free agent.
What This Means for Both Clubs
The Angels have been rebuilding their bullpen all offseason after signing Kirby Yates, Jordan Romano, and Drew Pomeranz, and Suter now gives them a second left-handed option alongside Pomeranz.
With Robert Stephenson and Ben Joyce returning from injuries and plenty of questions still surrounding the closer role, Suter's ability to eat innings should provide some much-needed stability.
The Harvard graduate also won the 2025 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award for his community work and has been praised as a great clubhouse presence everywhere he has been, which matters for a team looking to change its culture after 10 straight losing seasons.
For Cincinnati, losing Suter is part of a larger wave of bullpen turnover.
The Reds also saw Nick Martinez and Scott Barlow leave in free agency, and while the front office has responded by signing Pierce Johnson and Caleb Ferguson and acquiring Brock Burke in a trade, replacing the combined innings and consistency those three provided will be a real challenge for a team trying to build on its playoff run.