Reds designate pitcher Kevin Gregg for assignment

The Cincinnati Reds have designated right-handed reliever Kevin Gregg for assignment, the team announced this afternoon:

Reds designate for assignment RHP Kevin Gregg, recall from Louisville RHP Pedro Villarreal (#62).

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 11, 2015

Gregg made 11 appearances for the Reds before the move, allowing 12 runs on 13 hits in 10⅔ innings, good for a 10.13 ERA and 1.69 WHIP. He walked five and struck out 14. Gregg appeared in 12 games for Miami last season, allowing 10 runs in nine innings.

Replacing Gregg in the bullpen will be fellow right-hander Pedro Villarreal, who is a decade Gregg's junior. Villarreal has appeared in a pair of games for the Reds this season, allowing three runs in 2⅔ innings.

This is Villarreal's fourth season in the majors, all with Cincinnati, though he has just 24 big league innings under his belt. Most of those came in 2014, when Villarreal made 12 appearaces and posted a 4.30 ERA in 14⅔ innings. He allowed 11 hits and walked seven while striking out 12. In his career, Villarreal has posted a 6.75 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in 17 games, giving up 29 hits and 12 walks while striking out 17.

Gregg could be an option for a team looking for veteran bullpen help. He has a track record as a closer with 177 career saves, including 33 with the Cubs as recently as 2013, and a career 4.24 ERA in 720⅓ innings over the course of 13 major league seasons. He has struck out better than eight batters per nine innings in his career, as well.

The danger with a team signing Gregg is that Father Time may have caught up with him. After all, 37 isn't young for a big leaguer and Gregg sports an ERA of 10.07 in 19&frac23: innings over the past two seasons.