Sam Moll: Five things to know about new Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher

The Cincinnati Reds obtained some pitching help Monday in a trade with the Oakland A's for LHP Sam Moll.

MLB trade deadline live updates: Latest news, analysis, rumors as teams tweak rosters

Sam Moll: Cincinnati Reds trade for Oakland A's left-handed reliever

Here are five things to know about the new Reds pitcher, obtained for minor league RHP Joe Boyle and international cap space:

1. He started with the Colorado Rockies organization

The Lakeland, Tennessee, native was the 77th pick in round three of the 2013 MLB first-year draft. In addition to the Rockies organization, he pitched in the minor league systems of the A's, Pirates, Mariners, Blue Jays, Giants and Diamondbacks.

He made his major-league debut Sept. 1, 2017. He has posted a 4.13 ERA in 117 Major League appearances, all with Oakland (2017, 2021-2023).

2. He earned his first major league save in June.

In Oakland's 2-1 win over the New York Yankees June 27, he earned his first and only major league save in three chances. He's had 44 relief appearances and one start for the A's in 2023, going 0-3 with a 4.54 ERA in 37 ⅔ innings pitched (34 hits, 19 walks, 46 strikeouts, one home run, seven HBP, 1.41 WHIP and a .239 BAA).

3. The Bengal tiger is his college mascot.

Moll, 31, played for the University of Memphis, which coincidentally has a Bengal tiger mascot called TOM (Tigers of Memphis). After making his first career collegiate start on March 23, 2011, he got his first win a week later by pitching seven scoreless innings on March 30, 2011, against Mississippi Valley State, where he allowed no runs on four hits and struck out 10. During his sophomore season in 2012, he had a complete-game shutout, a save and a team-high 95 ⅔ innings pitched, good for fourth among C-USA pitchers.

4. Moll was the top pitcher at his high school, St. Benedict of Auburndale

In high school, Moll was a standout at St. Benedict of Auburndale where he was a Division II all-state player as a junior and led his team to a Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Division II-AA state runner-up finish in 2009. That year, the staff ace had a 1.69 ERA in 10 starts and had an 8-0 record. He struck out 100 batters in 58 innings and had eight complete games.

5. He's a family man.

The son of Jerry and Ginger Moll grew up in Lakeland, Tennessee. He and his wife, Carolina, have a son named Malcolm, born in September 2021.

He told the San Francisco Chronicle in June 2022 about his first Father's Day: “As for every father, it’s been a fun learning experience. He’s starting to crawl ‒ and crawl a lot faster, so probably before you know it he’ll be walking. But it’s been awesome as a first-time father to watch your kid grow, and thankfully he’s been healthy. And also watching my wife just carry most of the burden has been pretty spectacular.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: New Reds LHP Sam Moll: 5 things to know about former A's reliever