CINCINNATI -- Needing to turn around a pitching staff that took steps backward in 2026, the Reds hired former Guardians assistant pitching coach Joe Torres as their new pitching coach on Wednesday.
The 44-year-old Torres was the Guardians' assistant pitching coach for the past five seasons, including 2022-23 under current Reds manager Terry Francona.
“This will be my first year in this lead position, and having a manager with the experience that Tito has, it’s so comforting for me," Torres said.
"Think about being in situations where how he sees the game light years ahead of somebody else, and just being able to navigate the game and be able to have that person sitting next you in the dugout every day to almost help guide you in that year one process a little bit; I think that’s something that’s really huge for me.”
Torres is replacing Derek Johnson, who was informed last month that he would not be retained following a personal leave of absence from June through the rest of the season. Assistant pitching coach Matt Tracy filled in for Johnson while he was away.
Tracy and bullpen coach Oscar Marin -- who both interviewed for the vacancy -- are expected to remain in their current roles on the coaching staff.
A first-round selection (10th overall) of the Angels in the 2000 MLB Draft, Torres was a left-hander who pitched professionally for 13 seasons but did not reach the big leagues.
“I think the adversity of feeling both the highs and lows is something that can really relate to players," Torres said. "I always just try to put myself in their shoes. That’s the first thing. I’ve got to meet these guys where they’re at and put myself in their shoes.”
Torres moved into professional baseball coaching in 2017 with Cleveland, starting with a stint as pitching coach at the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate, followed by Single-A Lake County (‘18) and High-A Lynchburg (‘19). He became the Minor League pitching coordinator in ‘20 for two seasons until his promotion to Francona's staff, working under respected pitching coach Carl Willis.
Torres hopes to bring some of Willis' attributes with him in how he relates to Cincinnati's pitching staff.
“I could talk about Carl all day. He is the best," Torres said. "I just think about the way he leads with humility. That’s important to me. He listens and empowers his staff. Those are things that are important to me. It’s almost an egoless type of leader. He knows it’s not going to be one person. We’re going to take the best thought and apply that to the room.”
In 2026, Cincinnati's pitching staff ranked 28th in MLB with a 4.83 ERA while leading the Majors in walks (668) and ranking fourth in hit-by-pitches (87). The staff was tied for 11th with a 3.86 ERA in 2025.
Cleveland's pitchers ranked eighth in MLB last season with a 3.77 ERA and third in strikeouts (1,530). The Guardians finished in the top 10 in ERA over each of the past five seasons, which have included four American League Central titles.
That club relied heavily on analytics and technology with its pitchers, but Torres noted there's much more to it than that.
“For me, I’ve got to trust my eyes first," Torres said. "I see technology serving my eyes and serving our execution that we're trying out on the field. We use that as evidence to help us be objective and to help us kind of tell a story. But in the open, we’re going to talk about feel. We’re going to talk about what helps a guy, what it takes in the moment to help them get to where they got to get to."
The Reds' starting rotation is led by All-Star Chase Burns, who had a breakout second professional season by going 15-3 with a 2.86 ERA and 185 strikeouts over 29 starts and 154 1/3 innings. Left-hander and 2025 All-Star Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Rhett Lowder and Brandon Williamson are also part of the group that will likely need at least one more starter added in the offseason.
Meanwhile, the bullpen could be in line for an overhaul after the free-agent departures of closer Emilio Pagán and relievers Brock Burke and Pierce Johnson. Setup man Tony Santillan will be coming off left hip surgery, and another setup reliever, Graham Ashcraft, missed significant time with a UCL sprain in his right elbow and also dealt with inconsistency.
Although Johnson's duties also included the title as the organization's director of pitching, the club still must decide what the coaching structure for the system's pitching side will look like now that Torres has been hired.