The Reds have signed right-handers Julia Kelly to a minor league contract and was sent to Triple-A Louisville, according to an announcement from Louisville. Kelly, the son of Bats manager Pat Kelly, was released last month by the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization.

Kelly, 34, was a first-round pick of the Red Sox in 2008. In addition to Anthony Rizzo in trade, which brought Adrian Gonzalez to Boston, where the right-hander was widely considered a top-30 talent in the sport before making his major league debut with the Padres in 2012. Unfortunately, Kelly’s career in US baseball did not take off as his talent status would have suggested. He struggled greatly in his rookie season, posting an ERA of 6.21 and a FIP of 4.78 in six starts for the Padres, and did not reappear in the major leagues until 2015. He struggled in brief stints with the Padres and Braves before finally finding some success with the Giants in 2018. In San Francisco, the right-hander pitched a solid ERA of 3.04 with a FIP of 4.22 in seven appearances (three starts) totaling 23 2/3 innings.

While that performance wasn’t enough to earn him more playing time at the major league level, it did attract attention overseas, and Kelly signed his first contract with the LG Twins of the KBO before the 2019 season. Kelly had a stellar season in his first year overseas, posting an excellent 2.55 ERA in 180 1/3 frames in 29 starts despite a strikeout rate of just 16.9%. Kelly stayed with the club for more than half a decade, posting excellent numbers as a mainstay of the Twins’ rotation, with a 3.08 ERA in 875 2/3 innings entering the 2024 season.

While some reports suggested there was interest in Kelly’s services in the U.S. this year, the right-hander remained with the Twins on a one-year deal during the offseason. His results deteriorated that year, however, and he posted a lackluster 4.51 ERA while striking out just 13.9% of opponents in 19 starts before he was eventually released to make room on the club’s roster for the newly signed right-hander. Eliezer HernandezThis has opened the door for Kelly to return to the United States for the first time since 2018, but with the Reds, where he will face strong competition in the fight for promotion to the Major League.

Cincinnati currently uses a rotation of Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Nick MartinezAnd Carson Spires with Jacob Junis in a multi-level relief role. Of that group, Junis is the weakest with a 108 ERA+, so there is no obvious weak link to replace. An injury or two could, of course, free up spots on the big league club, but even then, Kelly would have to not only choose against other off-roster veterans like Justus Sheffield but also players who are already in the club’s 40-man squad, such as Lyon Richardson to make the big league roster. Still, it’s conceivable that a strong performance from Kelly in the minors at the end of the 2025 season will lead to further interest in his services in the affiliated ball sport, even if he doesn’t get a chance in the majors this year.