Alexis Diaz, Luis Cessa among 5 Cincinnati Reds pitchers on World Baseball Classic rosters

Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati Enquirer
·3 min read
Alexis Diaz, who had a stellar rookie season in the Reds' bullpen, will pitch for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
Alexis Diaz, who had a stellar rookie season in the Reds' bullpen, will pitch for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.

The World Baseball Classic is returning for the first time since 2017, and the Cincinnati Reds had five pitchers named on provisional rosters Thursday.

Closer Alexis Díaz (Puerto Rico) headlines the list of Reds players who may participate in the international tournament. The other potential participants include Luis Cessa (Mexico), Reiver Sanmartin (Colombia), Fernando Cruz (Puerto Rico) and Ian Gibaut (Great Britain).

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Players generally train with their Major League teams until the first week of March. Colombia, Mexico and Great Britain are in the same pool as the United States and Canada, and they will play their World Baseball Classic pool play games in Arizona. Puerto Rico will play its pool play games in Florida.

Luis Cessa, who is competing for a spot in the Reds’ rotation, had a 4.57 ERA in 80 2/3 innings last year.
Luis Cessa, who is competing for a spot in the Reds’ rotation, had a 4.57 ERA in 80 2/3 innings last year.

Díaz, who recently dyed his hair blond, committed to playing in the World Baseball Classic in December. He’ll have a chance to play alongside his older brother, New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz, for the first time in their lives.

It was a stellar rookie season for Díaz, who finished with a 7-3 record, 10 saves and a 1.84 ERA in 59 relief appearances while striking out 83 in 63 2/3 innings.

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Cessa, who is competing for a spot in the Reds’ rotation, had a 4.57 ERA in 80 2/3 innings last year. He’s primarily been a relief pitcher throughout his career, but the Reds shifted him to starter when injuries ravaged their rotation.

Sanmartin, a lefty, had success in the Reds’ bullpen after a poor stint as a starter. He ended the 2022 season with a 6.32 ERA in 57 innings, though he had a 2.96 ERA across 41 outings as a reliever.

Reds lefty reliever Reiver Sanmartin will pitch for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic.
Reds lefty reliever Reiver Sanmartin will pitch for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic.

Cruz was one of the great comeback stories last year. He was called up to the Majors on Sept. 1, a little more than 15 years after he was drafted. He went six years without pitching in affiliated baseball, finding innings in independent leagues and winter ball. The 32-year-old had a 1.23 ERA in 14 relief appearances last season.

Gibaut was a solid middle reliever for the Reds after he was claimed off waivers in July. He had a 4.67 ERA across 33 relief appearances for the Reds while striking out 48 in 34 2/3 innings.

Along with the five Major League pitchers, the Reds had 11 minor leaguers named to World Baseball Classic provisional rosters: pitchers Donovan Benoit (Great Britain), Silvino Bracho (Venezuela), Arij Fransen (Netherlands), Pedro Garcia (Colombia), Kyle Glogoski (Australia), Tayron Guerrero (Colombia), Evan Kravetz (Israel), Nicolo Pinazzi (Italy) and Vin Timpanelli (Italy), shortstop Brandon Leyton (Nicaragua) and outfielder Henry Ramos (Puerto Rico).

The World Baseball Classic will run from March 8-21. The semifinals and championship will be played at loanDepot park in Miami.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Alexis Diaz, Luis Cessa among Reds on World Baseball Classic rosters