Keegan

Thompson

Thompson will stick around as organizational depth for the Rockies after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 31-year-old posted a bloated 8.25 ERA across 12 innings for Colorado before being designated for assignment earlier this week.

The Rockies have decided to move on from Thompson after he posted a disastrous 8.25 ERA across 12 innings over five appearances since late May.

Thompson is back in the majors for the first time since 2024. He had a 3.34 ERA but just 19 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings for Albuquerque. He’s made five starts and thrown as many as 4 2/3 innings at a time, so he’s stretched out to go long if needed.

Thompson remains with the Rockies as organizational relief depth after being claimed off waivers from the Reds back in January. The 31-year-old veteran reliever holds a serviceable 3.64 ERA — 4.58 xERA — across 227 1/3 innings in the majors since 2021.

Thompson was claimed off waivers from the Reds in January, but he did not win a spot in the bullpen. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, he could likely remain in Colorado and stay in Triple-A.

The Reds signed Thompson to a one-year, $1.5 million deal on November 4th and then designated him for assignment just two months later without ever throwing a pitch for them. The 30-year-old spent all of 2025 in Triple-A for the Cubs, but he had posted a 3.64 ERA in 227 1/3 innings for the Cubs from 2021-24. This is a nice gamble for the Rockies.

Thompson signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with Cincinnati last month. The 30-year-old righty didn’t appear in the big leagues this past season after making 104 appearances for the Cubs since the start of 2021. The Reds are presumably hoping he’ll pass through waivers unclaimed and remain with the organization heading into spring training.

The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Gordon Wittenmyer reports that it’s a split contract that will pay $1.3 million while Thompson is in the majors. The 30-year-old Thompson had a 3.64 ERA in 227 1/3 innings for the Cubs from 2021-24 before failing to make the team last spring and spending the entire season at Triple-A Iowa, where he had a 4.50 ERA and an 83/25 K/BB in 64 innings. If he proves successful out of the pen, the Reds will retain his arbitration rights through 2028.

Thompson didn’t end up pitching in the majors this past season after making 104 appearances (23 starts) for the Cubs from 2021-2024. The 30-year-old reliever posted a respectable 4.50 ERA across 64 innings in 33 appearances last year for Triple-A Iowa in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Thompson figures to elect free agency in search of a new opportunity after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 30-year-old righty was designated for assignment last week to free up a spot on Chicago’s 40-man roster for top prospect Matt Shaw. He’ll be the answer to a trivia question someday in the Windy City if Shaw goes on to become a franchise cornerstone.