RSS Reds Team Notes

[Cincinnati Reds]

Reds trade interest in Astros CF Jake Meyers raises questions

Charlie Goldsmith, former Enquirer reporter (and current purveyor of Charlie’s Chalkboard on Substack), caught up with Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona at MLB’s Winter Meetings in Orlando, picking the future Hall of Famer’s mind on a number of topics ranging from Kyle Schwarber to managing the overall roster of the club through the grind of a full season.

While the most fun nuggets of that conversation revolve around the idea that the Reds might have a chance to land the slugging Schwarber, there are more tangible notes about the players already on-roster and what the Reds can do to get the most out of them going forward. Some of that, at least in Francona’s mind, needs to come through getting his most key players a few more days off over the course of the year, with shortstop Elly De La Cruz and CF TJ Friedl chief among them.

Francona praised Friedl for playing as much as he did last season, making 148 starts in center field. There were times where the Reds simply didn’t have a backup center fielder on the roster.

The Reds need more consistent center field depth in 2026. That could come with a more consistent year from Will Benson, who hasn’t been an impact defender in center but can man the spot. It also could come from an addition.

Francona has also asked Noelvi Marte to shag fly balls in center field. Even if Marte doesn’t play there, it’s good to work on chasing fly balls down from both sides.

Finding depth in CF to allow for Friedl to get a minute here and there seems like something the Reds are keenly interested in discovering this winter, and that brings us to Houston Astros CF Jake Meyers. He’s firmly on the trade block this winter as the Astros try to revamp their own roster, and Brian McTaggart of MLB.com relayed yesterday that the Reds are one of the clubs who has expressed interest.

First, let’s lay out the Meyers basics.

He’s a plus runner who’s even elite at times. He ranked in the 89th percentile in sprint speed in 2024 before dropping to just the 71st in 2025, though a calf injury sidelined him for a pair of months and clearly impacted that a bit. He’s also a tremendously rangy defender, ranking in the 95th percentile in Range (OAA) in 2025 and 97th percentile the year before. He’s fresh off a 2025 season in which he posted a career-best 103 OPS+, and that paired with his defense saw him valued at 2.4 bWAR/2.3 fWAR.

He’s 29 and will turn 30 in June, and he’s got two more years of team control. He’s estimated to take down a $3.5 million salary in 2026 via arbitration.

If the Reds were to acquire Meyers and have him replicate his 2025 season, he’d be worth every penny, and more. The questions, though, are both whether that’s a realistic expectation of him at this point as well as what the Reds would choose to do with Friedl (and on down the dominos) if Meyers were acquired.

For a team on a budget like the Reds, you don’t simply trade valuable pieces off the farm for a guy only to pay him $3.5 million and then not be a regular. If you go get Meyers as the Reds, you put him in CF more often than not. That doesn’t mean every single inning of every single game, obviously – Meyers only logged 381 PA in 104 G last year and has only topped that number of PA in a season once in five years in the bigs. So, you’d think TJ Friedl would still be very much a ‘part’ of the CF mix, but given that Meyers likely is the superior defender of the two at this juncture of their careers, that would probably slide TJ over to LF a lot, too.

That begs further questions. Is bringing in Meyers at the cost (both in prospects and salary) to bolster the CF depth chart worth it? Is TJ Friedl, himself a plus offensive player in CF who can still capably man it defensively when not ground to a pulp, a good enough offensive player to warrant playing a corner OF spot more often than not? Is a Meyers CF, Friedl LF outfield pairing really a better use of resources than simply keeping TJ in CF, signing a bigger bat for LF, and, say, letting Blake Dunn simply roll around the corner of the roster as CF depth?

That likely comes down to your expectations of Meyers, who was never close to as good offensively in his first four years in the bigs as he was in 2025.

In 1177 PA across 2021-2024, he hit just .228/.292/.371 (85 OPS+), numbers that seem much more accurate given his lower-level minors performance before reaching the AAA launching pads of the Pacific Coast League. Across that 2021-2024 sample, he posted a combined .290 BABIP despite his elite speed, with a .283 mark in 341 PA in 2023 and .263 mark in 513 PA in 2024 (his biggest single-season sample size to date). In his ‘breakout’ 2025, though, he put up an outlier .353 BABIP – the 9th highest among the 242 MLB players with at least 350 PA last year – yet still only slugged .373 (188th).

That’s wet-noodle territory. That’s not a far cry from the guy whose 27.9% hard-hit rate in 2023 ranked in the bottom 5%, per Statcast and who still ranked in just the 18th percentile in barrel rate and 22nd in average exit velocity in his best season in 2025.

I’d have more optimism for Meyers if he weren’t already turning 30 during the 2026 season. That calf issue and the subsequent loss in range is concerning, too, in the context that we saw almost exactly the same thing happen to Friedl with his own soft-tissue (hamstring) problems just a year ago – also when he was creeping up on age 30. There’s plenty of reasoning as to why having Meyers on the Reds roster in 2026 would make them a better overall club, but it’s the opportunity cost that’s giving me troubles here – he’s not the kind of player you acquire for this price in this way that simply adds last-man-on-roster depth. Rather, this would be – in the same vein as the Gavin Lux acquisition last year – a move that prevents a further, better move from actually going down, and that concerns me to no end.

As a free agent for $3.5 million to be the 4th outfielder on a club willing to spend $140-150 million? Sure, give me Jake Meyers all day long. But if you’ve got to outbid other clubs to acquire him via trade, plan on slotting him as the regular CF, and will only backfill LF with in-house options instead of bringing in a LF bat? Count me out.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/cincinn...eds-trade-interest-jake-meyers-houston-astros

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

MLB Roundup: Jorge Polanco to Mets, Luis Robert in demand

There’s a presumption that the Cincinnati Reds are intent upon improving their offensive performance heading into the 2026 season. After all, they made a very public pursuit of Kyle Schwarber before the Ohio native signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, and it’s kind of difficult to backtrack from acknowledging how much of an impact he’d have made only to, y’know, not add anyone in his stead.

They’ve been linked (at least somewhat) to the likes of Ketel Marte and Brandon Lowe on the trade market, both of whom have their perks. That said, there’s been a build of momentum on both the free agent and trade markets for hitters who would, in theory, be reasonable fits for this Cincinnati roster, and it’s worth tracking those a) to see if the Reds were at all involved and b) to see just how their pool of choices is dwindling as they wait.

Schwarber signed with Philly, and Pete Alonso followed him a day later by leaving the Mets to sign with the Baltimore Orioles (who now seem primed to deal from their offensive depth).

Earlier on in the offseason, the Texas Rangers and New York Mets made a financial blockbuster by swapping Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien, as the Mets decision to totally overhaul their underperforming roster of stars got going. They’ve moved on from Nimmo, Alonso, and recently Edwin Diaz (who signed with the Dodgers) while adding Semien and Jorge Polanco, who inked this week for a pair of years and $40 million total.

Polanco, in particular, is an interesting pickup for the Mets. There’s talk he’ll get some time at 1B after Alonso moved on to Baltimore, even though Polanco has never played an inning at 1B in his big league career. There’s even the potential he gets the bulk of his time at DH while Jeff McNeil gets run at 1B, moves that (when paired with the addition of Semien) seemingly upgrade the heck out of the team’s overall infield defense going forward.

The Mets don’t seen like they are done, either. They’ve got more money than god and just moved on from a lot of otherwise expensive players, and they’re one of several teams who are in on Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert on the trade front, per Francys Romero of Beisbol FR. Joining them are the likes of the San Diego Padres (who are always in the big-trade waters) and Pittsburgh Pirates (who are not, but are theoretically trying to build around Paul Skenes whilst they can). Roberts oozes talent and finished well in 2025, but several down (and injured) years before that have thrust him into quite the conundrum of a market, even though it’s one the Cincinnati Reds should be involved in regardless.

The Seattle Mariners, now sans Polanco, are interested in St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan, as are the San Francisco Giants (who seemingly haven’t had a 2B who could hit since now Hall of Famer Jeff Kent). That’s per Katie Woo of The Athletic, and it’s hard not to notice that Donovan would be a pretty ideal pickup for the Reds given what Nick Krall and Co. have been prioritizing of late – high contact, low K, ‘line drive power that might play up in GABP,’ and positional versatility. Anyway, I don’t think the Cardinals will be dealing him within the division.

Speaking of the division, the Milwaukee Brewers wrapped up an interesting deal to end this week by dealing outfielder Isaac Collins and righty Nick Mears to the Kansas City Royals for lefty Angel Zerpa. The Royals have been desperate to add offense to their outfield mix and do so, in theory, by adding Collins, who is fresh off finishing 4th in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. Of course, he’s also 28 years old, somewhat positionless, and fresh off a .326 BABIP despite a soft contact approach and middling speed, so maybe this is just another example of the Brewers being incredibly shrewd with their decisions.

Finally, we turn back to the Padres. They’re reportedly shopping veteran starter Nick Pivetta (and his backloaded contract) along with the likes of Ramon Laureano, Mason Miller, and a handful of others. That’s per a cadre of reporters from The Athletic, who note that while they’re not going to trade Fernando Tatis, Jr., even Jake Cronenworth could be on the block as the club looks to trim back some of its payroll outlay. While neither is Schwarber (or even in the same stratosphere), adding the likes of Cronenworth and Laureano would significantly upgrade what the Reds have going for them offensively.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstove/49247/mlb-roundup-rumors-free-agents-luis-robert-trade

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

It’s a make-or-break 2026 for these three Cincinnati Reds

There’s a presumption that this offseason is far from finished for the Cincinnati Reds. Though they were rendered second fiddle (at best) in their pusuit of slugger Kyle Schwarber and have so far not managed to land any other impact bats via trade, their seemingly genuine efforts to acquire some legitimate bats shows they know just how ugly it was to watch what we all watched from the offense in 2025.

The bullpen needs plenty of work, too, even after the club managed to coax Emilio Pagan into re-signing earlier in December. And with a budget and payroll that’s already mostly tapped out, that means Nick Krall and the front office are going to have to get creative with how they seek these improvements, a scenario that almost always ends up with one or two (or three) final roster spots being doled out to players who, on paper, are more need to prove it guys than are established and known quantities.

Those guys are the gambles, if you will. The bets on upside an hope, talent and ceiling, players who you’ve seen glimpses of in recent seasons that get one more chance to show that this time, this year, they’re at a point in their careers where they can take the next step.

And if they don’t this time? Well, the chances were certainly there.

Here are three particular Cincinnati Reds who will be fighting to get that one last chance to shine in 2025, assuming they even get that chance.

Rece Hinds (25) – OF​

Hinds, the club’s 2nd round pick back in 2019, only turned 25 in September of 2025, and is a known quantity because of the completely absurd first 6 games of his big league career turned in back in July of 2024.

He went 11 for 22 with 3 doubles, a triple, 5 dingers, 11 RBI, and a pair of steals in those 6 games, earned NL Player of the Week honors, and showed the world just how electric he can be when his power, speed, and eye at the plate are all tuned in perfectly. Of course, the crash was immediate after that week, and he even slumped to a miserable .658 OPS in his time with AAA Louisville in 2024, never truly turning the page back after his demotion.

He struck out 160 times in just 422 PA with the Bats in 2024. In 2025, though, he cut that down to just 113 in 436 PA, and with the stark cut down in K-rate came with a power surge (.563 slugging, 26 doubles, 24 homers). He swiped 21 bags – a single-season career best for him – and even turned in 51 starts as a CF with AAA Louisville, the first such time he’s played the position. He even turned on RHP with incredible aplomb (.914 OPS, 22 of his 26 overall dingers across all levels), showing that he may not just be a guy primed to be the short-side of a platoon going forward.

Hinds has often had up and down swings to his career, great one year and subpar the next, and the hope is that the trend there doesn’t continue and that his 2025 was him maturing into the kind of elite power hitter he truly could be. Given his arm, range, and power potential, that’s a pretty ideal 4th/5th outfielder if he’s truly turned that corner, the only question now being whether riding bench more often than not to begin 2026 is truly what’s best for him and the Reds.

He’s gone one option remaining, however, giving the Reds a little bit more time to evaluate him.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand (26) – 1B/3B/DH​

If you aren’t the kind of person who keeps intricate track of just how long the Cincinnati Reds have been in their perpetual rebuild, well, walking back through the highs and lows of the CES era will give you a refresher.

CES was acquired alongside Spencer Steer and Steve Hajjar in the deal that sent Tyler Mahle to the Minnesota Twins in August of 2022. Steer actually made his big league debut for the Reds shortly after said trade, and 2026 will now mark his 5th season with the club. Fifth!

CES didn’t debut until later in 2023, but when he did, he did so with the kind of power that made folks drool, hitting .270/.328/.477 with 13 homers in just 63 games in the very same season that Joey Votto played his final games for the Reds. It sure seemed as if the heir apparent was already around, and that’s how the club approached 2024.

Then came the hairline fracture in his wrist, the misdiagnosis (or whatever lack of oversight there was that prolonged the problem), and the beginning of long-layoffs and recovery time doing everything it could to sap him of regular playing time. His big league numbers tanked in limited action, and his numbers at AAA have yet to return to the heights they found during his 2023 breakout.

Now, he’s 26. His skillset on the roster – iffy defense limited pretty much to 1B, high Ks, big power – are pretty much exactly what the Reds sought in Schwarber, meaning that’s the expectation gap between the two. And as ‘bench bats with pop who hit right-handed’ go, well, I think I laid out the case for Hinds to get that honor before CES at this point already.

Lyon Richardson (26 in January) – RHP​

It’s a barrage of former 2nd round picks, as Richardson represents Cincinnati’s pick from Round 2 back in 2018. Since then, he’s gone from flamethrower to a guy who lost serious velocity, a guy who’s overcome Tommy John surgery and a move to the bullpen and, at times, looked pretty electric in doing so.

He was humming along like a future cog of the Reds bullpen in 2025, firing 24.1 IP of 1.85 ERA ball with a 20/8 K/BB in his first 20 G. He’d yielded just a lone homer, was commanding the zone, and even exuding the kind of confidence on the mound you need to have as a reliever climbing the leverage chart. Things hit the skids beginning in his very next appearance, however, and from that point forward he allowed 17 runs (14 earned) in his final 13.1 IP with an ugly 10/13 K/BB in that span.

His stuff can be pure filth, a well-balanced combination of 96 mph heater, 95 mph sinker, and a change that’s almost 10 full mph slower than his four-seamer on average. He’s flirted with a slider before – though he mostly abandoned it in 2025 – and clearly has the chops to continue to work it into his approach.

The Reds have clear voids in their bullpen after the departures of Scott Barlow, Brent Suter, and Ian Gibaut. If Richardson can show even a glimpse of consistency with that kind of stuff, he could very well be a central piece of the 2026 ‘pen (and of it going forward), doing so at a still league-minimum rate for a team that’s on a shoestring budget. He’s out of options, too, meaning that the Reds won’t have the ability to simply ship him back to Louisville to figure things out in 2026 – he’s going to have to simply harness it from the start this time around.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/peer-into-the-future/49250/cincinnati-reds-encarnacion-strand-rece-hinds

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Lou Piniella, trio of former stars to be inducted into Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame

The Cincinnati Reds announced their 2026 Hall of Fame class on Tuesday, and it’s a doozy. Headlining it will be former manager Lou Piniella – he of the 1990 World Series Reds – as well as the likes of Brandon Phillips, Aaron Harang, and the perenially overlooked Reggie Sanders (who should have been in years ago).

The Reds made the announcement on Twitter.

Introducing your Reds Hall of Fame Class of 2026

Aaron Harang
Brandon Phillips
Lou Piniella
Reggie Sanders pic.twitter.com/XoECtIzcSi

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) December 16, 2025

Harang and BP were the players selected off the modern ballot, while both Lou and Reggie will go in via the veterans committee.

Harang emerged in the mid-aughts for a Reds franchise that had been the bane of pitching existence for a baseball generation at that point. Acquired from Oakland in the deal that sent Jose Guillen the other way, Harang put the pedal down in 2005 and kept it there for a three-year run that saw him post a trio of 200+ IP seasons and 15.7 total bWAR. In 2006 he became the first pitcher in National League history to lead the league in both wins and strikeouts and not win the Cy Young Award – and he didn’t even get a single vote! The next year he was arguably better (and more regarded) and finished 4th in NL CYA voting.

Phillips, of course, was plucked from Cleveland after flaming out as a top prospect and immediately became one of the most electric two-way players in the sport. Across 11 years with the Reds, he was valued at 28.6 bWAR and won four Gold Glove Awards, a Silver Slugger, made three All-Star teams, posted a 30/30 season, and even caught Jonathan Villar stealing with his buttcheeks.

Sweet Lou needs no introduction. The 1969 American League Rookie of the Year played 18 years in the game before embarking upon a managerial career that deserves recognition in Cooperstown. He ranks 17th overall with 1835 career victories, and the 1990 World Series he won with the Nasty Boys remains the highlight of his career overall.

Sanders was emblematic of the power/speed combo the Reds put together in their post-1990 run, and had the strike not sapped the 1994 season of its playoffs he may well have a World Series title to celebrate on his plaque, too. His 1995 season was positively epic (even though Barry Larkin actually winning the MVP that year has always overshadowed it), as he hit .306/.397/.579 (155 OPS+) with 28 homers, 36 steals, his lone All-Star appearance, and a 6th place finish in MVP voting. He posted 21.5 bWAR across his 8 seasons in Cincinnati before plying his trade across the NL for years later, and he remains one of just eight (8!) players ever in the 300 homers, 300 steals club.

Congrats to the newest members of the Reds Hall of Fame!

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/events/...s-reggie-sanders-cincinnati-reds-hall-of-fame

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds, Statcast anathemas

The eye-test through the 2025 season revealed to anyone who paid attention that the Cincinnati Reds simply weren’t the slugging Reds of yore. The roster assembled by the front office had been deliberately put together to hit ‘line drives,’ a club designed to, in theory, produce more contact gap to gap even at the very purposeful expense of over-the-fence power, and the results were predictable.

Only two clubs had a team-leader in dingers with fewer than that of the Reds. Elly De La Cruz, said team leader on the Reds with 22 last year, hit just one (1) homer during a particularly odd 74 (!) game stretch during the middle of said season, and he slugged just .373 from June 24th through the end of the regular season – a stretch of some 83 games. That’s right, the team’s preeminent power hitter went over half a season with an almost complete power outage, yet still managed to hit more homers over the course of the regular season than anyone else.

Elly struggled through a leg injury during most of that span, something we were let in on only after the season ended. This is also not meant to rag on Elly – he’s one of the few bats on the club who, when healthy, actually has a chance to repeatedly knock the snot out of the ball. Rather, this is an article to highlight a corner of a leaderboard not everyone stumbles across, and to point out just how many Cincinnati Reds occupy it.

A quick trip over to the Statcast tab on FanGraphs is an excellent place to begin to understand just how light-hitting the 2025 Reds were. It’s also a place you shouldn’t view as a Reds fan until you’ve found a way to sit down.

Let’s start with Expected Slugging Percentage (xSLG), a metric ‘formulated using exit velocity, launch angle and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed’ according to MLB.com’s glossary. It effectively tracks what kind of slugger you should be expected to be based off how hard you hit balls and whether you hit them in a fashion that produces grounders, line drives, or fly balls. Well-hit fly balls go for homers, after all.

Among the 277 MLB players who logged at least 300 PA last year, you’ll find old friend Santiago Espinal ranking 2nd to last with a .285 xSLG (only Atlanta’s Nick Allen, at .263, was worse). You may recall Espinal hit in the #2 spot in the batting order more than in any other spot last year, too. You’ll also find everyday leadoff man TJ Friedl (.315) ranked 10th worst on this list, as well as Gavin Lux – who ‘played’ DH more than any other position and also got 21 starts batting in the #2 spot – checking in at 17th worst. That’s right, the Reds rolled out guys ranked among the 17th worst expected sluggers in the game atop their order more than any other club in baseball last year, with Friedl at leadoff in 150 games last year and Espinal/Lux batting 2nd to start a combined 51 games.

To manager Terry Francona’s credit (credit?), it wasn’t as if he had a ton of inverse options. Each of Ke’Bryan Hayes (30th worst), Jose Trevino (38th), and Matt McLain (39th) all ranked among the bottom 40, and McLain got an additional 68 starts batting 2nd. Yikes!

Looking at the overall team metrics doesn’t exactly make you walk away feeling better. Take, for instance, the team rankings in EV90 – or 90th percentile exit velocity. Cincinnati’s team mark of 103.7 mph may make you say dang, a hundred and three miles an hour is pretty fast! And, it is…just not in the context of the rest of Major League Baseball hitters, as that mark tied with the Cleveland Guardians for dead last among all 30 clubs. The New York Yankees, unsurprisingly, ranked tops at 106.3 mph.

The Reds ranked 28th among the 30 clubs in both total number of barrels and barrel rate (7.2%), and also ranked 28th in hard-hit % (38.2%, ahead of only San Diego and Cleveland). Their .368 xSLG ranked 29th, better than only Cleveland, while their expected weighted on-base average (wOBA) of .299 was better than only the lowly Colorado Rockies (.293) and, again, Cleveland.

If we circle back to Elly to end this quick dive, well, it’s to point out just how much of a dichotomy his particular Statcast metrics show. He ranked tops on the team (and 10th in all baseball) in maxEV (maximum exit velocity) with a ball he hit 117.4 mph. He lapped the rest of the team in EV90 and average exit velocity, too, his barrel rate (10.2%) better than all other Reds with at least 300 PA save for Tyler Stephenson and Austin Hays. What stands out with Elly on the other end of the spectrum, though, is his minuscule 7.6 degree launch angle, which is by far the lowest among the 10 Reds who had 300+ PA. Gavin Lux (9.6) is the only Red even sort of close, with Spencer Steer’s 18.8 the most fly-ball of the bunch.

That’s right, the only Red who so much as hit the ball at all league-average or better in terms of contact is also the one who pounded it into the dirt more than any other on the club.

It’s an alarming set of data given the heights to which this club aspires heading into the 2026 season. It’s no surprise to see Kyle Schwarber, whom they coveted so, ranking 3rd overall in barrel rate (20.8%), 20th in launch angle (20.0), 12th in max exit velocity (117.2 mph), 8th in EV(0 (109.8 mph), and 2nd in hard-hit % (59.6%). That’s the kind of hitter who could begin to drag the team’s overall marks back to the middle of the pack, something that simply hoping everybody just gets a little better won’t do.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/stat-co...ti-reds-statcast-leaderboards-elly-de-la-cruz

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds add lefty Caleb Ferguson to bullpen mix

The Cincinnati Reds further bolstered their bullpen on Tuesday afternoon by agreeing to a one-year major league contract with lefty Caleb Ferguson. As of the time of publishing, the details of the deal were not yet disclosed, and the deal itself is still pending a physical.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was first to relay the news.

Free-agent left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson in agreement with Reds, pending physical, source tells @TheAthletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 16, 2025

Ferguson excelled for both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners in 2025, combining for a 3.58 ERA (3.26 FIP) across 65.1 IP. His one-time elite strikeout rate (career mark of 10.8 per 9 IP entering 2025) plummetted to just 7.03 last year, though that coincided directly with a change of approach on the bump altogether. His hard-hit rate crashed down to just 20.9%, per FanGraphs, after hovering between 27.9% and 41.0% in previous years, and his 84.8 mph average exit velocity ranked in the 99th percentile according to Statcast.

That’s all come with a fundamental change in his pitch arsenal, too. Back in 2020 he threw his four-seam fastball as much as 79.3% of the time, but that had dipped to just 31.6% in 2025 as he began to heavily mix in each of his cutter, sinker, and curveball, too. The sinker in particular (23.2% usage after not being in his arsenal at all prior to 2024) has helped evolve his entire approach, and it’s likely no coincidence that he’s increased that pitch’s usage while inducing a ton of weak contact in lieu of trying to simply throw it by people.

Ferguson, who’ll turn 30 in July, is also – you guessed it – an Ohio native, having been drafted back in 2014 by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of West Jefferson High School. He’ll help fill the void left by Brent Suter, Taylor Rogers, Reiver Sanmartin, and Joe La Sorsa, all lefties who saw time at the big league level in the Reds bullpen during the 2025 season who are no longer within the organization. He’ll pair with Sam Moll (barring any further LHP additions) to form the southpaw options heading into 2026.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstove/49263/cincinnati-reds-rumors-caleb-ferguson

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds payroll update with Caleb Ferguson on the books

The Cincinnati Reds further bolstered their bullpen on Wednesday with the signing of lefty Caleb Ferguson, who comes to the Queen City fresh off a 2025 season split between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners.

He fired 65.1 IP of 3.58 ERA, 3.26 FIP ball with a new and improved arsenal on the mound, and for his efforts he was rewarded with a 1-year, $4.5 million deal by the Reds. That was confirmed by The Enquirer’s Gordon Wittenmyer on Thursday.

Caleb Ferguson signing official with Reds. One year, $4.5 million.

— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubMLB) December 18, 2025

The addition of Ferguson helps alleviate the threadbare nature of the team’s bullpen, which waved goodbye to the likes of Ian Gibaut, Brent Suter, Scott Barlow, and Nick Martinez this winter (in addition to Emilio Pagan, who has since re-signed with the club). Together, Pagan and Ferguson will earn some $14.5 million for the 2026 season.

That $14.5 million falls into the pool of guaranteed money already on Cincinnati’s books for next year alongside the salaries of Ke’Bryan Hayes ($7 million), Hunter Greene ($8.33 million), and Jose Trevino ($5.25 million) for a total of $35.58 million that’s already in ink. That’s in addition to the estimated ~$48.5 million they’ll owe to their large class of a baker’s dozen arbitration-eligible players, headlined by Brady Singer (who’s estimated to get almost $12 million in his final year before free agency).

So, that’s a little over $84 million that’s already tied up for just 18 players on the active roster. If you were to simply fill out the remaining 8 spots on the active roster with pre-arb players making league minimum – that’s $780,000 – that’s an additional $6.24 million, bringing the total to $90.24 million.

You can’t forget Jeimer Candelario’s albatross of a deal, though. Despite being cast off last year, he’s still owed $13 million for the 2026 season (with a $3 million buyout for 2027), meaning the initial $13 million there is likely still accounted for on the 2026 Reds payroll. So, they’re at something around $103.24 million for the upcoming season.

Over a month ago Nick Krall intimated to the media that ‘our 2026 payroll will be around the same as our payroll from 2025,’ as Mark Sheldon of MLB.com relayed at the time. That was just shy of $112 million on Opening Day and $116 million by season’s end after the July 31st trade deadline moves, per Cot’s Contracts. Over at The Athletic, C. Trent Rosecrans cited figures from USA Today that pegged the Reds payroll between $3-5 million higher for both Opening Day and season’s end, so there could be slightly more wiggle room left.

Still, you’re looking at something in the range of $9-15 million remaining for the 2026 Reds to spend, assuming those earlier figures aren’t impacted by a trade that pulls someone currently on-roster off of it.

There’s the issue of the offense still left to address, one that was not solved by simply signing Kyle Schwarber. A player in the realm of a Ryan O’Hearn would eat up a good chunk of what’s remaining, for example, as would a reunion with Austin Hays. There’s also still the void left by Barlow and Martinez, who ate up a combined 89 IP of relief last year while bringing more veteran presence (presents!) to the ‘pen than anyone they’ve got down there currently. That’s also failing to add any additional starting help and simply hoping they can mop-up the 200+ IP that Martinez, Zack Littell, and Wade Miley consumed as starters last year from within their current ranks.

There’s still time for additions and for Krall & Co. to get creative, but the arbitrary tightening of the payroll belt is already beginning.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/cincinnati-reds-rumors/49307/cincinnati-reds-payroll-caleb-ferguson

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Baltimore set the price for controllable starting pitching, and they set it high

The Baltimore Orioles have seemingly been in perpetual pursuit of starting rotation upgrades as they emerged from their years-long rebuild at the end of last decade. Their position player corps is robust, with top draft picks littering the field in their uniforms each and every day. But the primary culprit for why they’ve fallen from the 101 win team in 2023 back to last place in the AL East is their lack of starting-caliber arms to put on the mound every 1st inning.

Last season, they received just 8.1 fWAR from all their starting pitchers combined, better than only the rebuilding St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, Oaklamento A’s, and Colorado Rockies. The Cincinnati Reds, for instance, effectively doubled that mark (16.1 fWAR). Baltimore only furthered their need for starters by watching veterans Zach Eflin and Charlie Morton reach free agency and shipping former top prospect Grayson Rodriguez and what’s left of his right shoulder to the Angels for outfielder Taylor Ward earlier this offseason.

They’ll presumably get some of Kyle Bradish back, who’s excellent – when healthy. He returned from Tommy John surgery late last year and looked like his old self, but that’s after missing most all of the previous two seasons. It’s a similar story for Tyler Wells, who missed most of the last two seasons with a UCL injury, too, though he’s not of the same caliber as Bradish (when healthy). They’ll back Trevor Rogers – when healthy – who overcame a dislocated knee during the 2025 season to pitch better than he ever had during the latter half of the season. Add-in the bulk innings eaten by Dean Kremer, and that’s the makings of what could be a half-decent rotation for 2026…if healthy.

Still, there were durability concerns all up and down that group, as well as some serious lack of real ‘upside’ within it. So, it was unsurprising to see them jump for Tampa starter Shane Baz in a trade earlier this week, a deal for a former top prospect who oozes upside and comes with three full seasons of team control.

What was surprising, though, is just how much they had to give up to get Baz. As MLB Trade Rumors confirmed, Tampa will get outfielder Slater de Brun and catcher Caden Bodine – both 1st round draft picks from the most recent MLB Draft – as well as righty Michael Forret, outfielder Austin Overn, and a Competitive Balance Round A pick in the upcoming 2026 draft. Forret was a consensus Top 10 prospect within Baltimore’s system after an excellent 2025 season in the minors, while Baltimore spent over $7 million combined to sign de Brun and Bodine after they were two of their four picks in the 1st round this summer. And de Brun, it’s worth pointing out for relative value’s sake, was technically a Competitive Balance Round A pick.

Despite all of his hype, he’s coming off a 2025 season in which he pitched to a 4.87 ERA (4.37 FIP) and 1.34 WHIP across 166.1 IP down in Tampa, though he did so while their home ball park was the A-ball site of the New York Yankees affiliate after their own home dome was minced in Hurricane Milton. He yielded 18 dingers in those incredibly cozy confines (in only 82.1 IP there), his 5.90 ERA in that stadium a far cry from the 3.86 mark he put up in 84.0 IP elsewhere last season. He also gave up only 8 homers on the road last year.

Still, that was all from a 26 year old pitching in the first full big league season of his career. He fired 79.1 IP of much better ball (3.06 ERA, 4.07 FIP) for the Rays in 2024, but that came after missing all of the 2023 season due to an elbow injury and having logged just 40.1 IP of 4.02 ERA ball across the two seasons prior. So, despite all of Baz’s reputation – former 1st round pick, Top 10 overall prospect prior to 2022 by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus – the reality is he’s a guy with three controllable years remaining who’s been valued at a grand total of 3.1 bWAR/3.4 fWAR in 286 career big league innings, to date.

There’s ample value to that player, sure. It just seems like Baltimore was willing to throw more quantity to acquire that player than I would have ever estimated, even if there’s still a lot of question marks about just how top-end the quality of those players may be down the road.

It’s a pretty stunning tell for the trade market for controllable starting pitchers, something that I’m sure the Cincinnati Reds both a) know and b) help set themselves. Given their preponderance of controllable starters of varying quality and control, I’d be shocked if Baltimore hadn’t kicked tires on what it would take to pry away Andrew Abbott, Rhett Lowder, Nick Lodolo, or even Hunter Greene from the Reds – and that none of those players got moved tells me the Reds asking price was as high or higher than what it took to get Baz. There are only so many teams currently trying to contend that are desperate for starting pitching and so many teams currently trying to contend that have potentially enough wealth of it to spare, after all.

That’s a concept I looked at closer just nine days ago when, on paper, it sure looked like the Reds and Orioles could line up for a deal. At the time, though, I wondered openly if the Reds might look for something more ready-made at the big league level in exchange for one of their controllable arms, and it’s clear in the Baz deal that Tampa was much more willing to accept players who won’t see a big league game anytime soon than this Reds team likely was.

Baltimore could still be on the hunt for another controllable arm, but likely not at that steep of a prospect cost. So, for a Reds club that’s looking at ways to improve their roster on a shoestring budget, that may well be one potential trade partner that’s now off the table for them. You can make the case that pretty much any pitcher in the Reds regular rotation would make the rotation of any other club much better, but there are only so many teams out there who’d be willing to pay what it would take for the Reds to make that kind of move – and Baltimore sure seemed like the club in the most desperate of positions in that regard.

Now? That path seems a lot muddier.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstove/49312/baltimore-orioles-shane-baz-cincinnati-reds-lodolo-rumors

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Reds reportedly kicking tires on Chigago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert, Jr.

Somewhat lost in the weekend shuffle of posturing NFL divisional games, NCAA football playoff high drama, college basketball showcases, Premier League football clashes, and my kids each having the flu at the same time as my wife was the news that the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds are discussing a deal involving former All-Star outfielder Luis Robert, Jr.

At least, that’s what Bob Nightengale of USA Today had to relay yesterday, so I’ll allow you to process that relay of information with the appropriate filters. Bob suggests that the pale hose are in the market for controllable starting pitching in the wake of signing Munetaka Murikami to be their resident slugger, and moving on from Robert – and much of his $20 million salary for 2026 – might be their next big move.

Next up for the Chicago White Sox after the Munetaka Murakami signing:
They still would like to move CF Luis Robert for pitching depth and are engaged in talks with the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 21, 2025

If you focus purely on the high points of Robert’s career to date you’ll be salivating at the idea. At age 28, he’s pretty clearly still in prime age. He’s been an All-Star, won a Gold Glove for his work in CF, and also taken home a Silver Slugger. He once posted a 154 OPS+ in a partial season while also has a 130 OPS+ in a full season’s worth of work under his belt, with power to bonk 38 dingers in a single season and speed to swipe as many as 33 bags.

Doing only that would limit your willingness to process the meager .660 OPS he’s posted dating back to the start of the 2024 season. As he’s battled a litany of injuries over that time, he’s limped to just a .223/.288/.372 line in 856 PA in that span, being poor against RHP the entirety of that time while alternating between awful and palatable against southpaws (he hits right-handed). For $20 million in 2026, that brings risk of not just injury into the fold, but also of simply being a bad hitter, too, something that likely would be an ask too large for the Reds were they to take on the bulk of – let alone all of – Robert’s hefty salary.

If there’s any silver lining here, it’s how Robert finished the 2025 season after coming back from a left hamstring injury suffered in June – or, rather, how he finished his 2025 season. When he returned on July 8th, he proceeded to hit .293/.349/.459 in 146 PA across the final 37 games he played, socking 6 homers and swiping 11 bags while showing excellent command at the plate (11/14 BB/K). That all came with only a .317 BABIP, something that’s wholly sustainable for a player who hits the ball as hard as he does and runs as fast as he does, too.

The problem with even the silver lining is that those final 37 games ended on August 26th and not on the season’s final day. That’s because a recurrence of the same hamstring problem flared up and ended his season right then, once again cutting short a chance for him to show he’s fully over the ‘injury prone’ label.

There’s obviously a level where acquiring Robert from Chicago makes infinite sense to the Reds. If they don’t have to give up much and the White Sox eat a ton of cash, sure!

There’s obviously a level where it’s going to be clearly too risky for the Reds front office to say yes, too. If Chicago comes asking for Rhett Lowder and only kicks in $3 million, well, Nick Krall is going to take his ball and go home in a heartbeat.

It’s the middle ground where this concept becomes truly interesting. Robert’s in the final year of his contract, meaning he’ll be reaching free agency at age 29 this time in a year. If he truly has a bounce-back kind of 2026, he’d enter free agency as one of the most coveted position players on the market – a guy with proven 30/30 prowess who plays a premium defensive position. If he’s moved now, and not at the deadline, whoever he plays for in 2026 would get the chance to issue him a Qualifying Offer and potentially recoup a damn decent draft pick if he heads elsewhere in free agency. That’s a corner of these negotiations that cannot be lost on anyone.

Of course, there’s also the chance he pulls a hammy in Cactus League play and is haunted by it off and on all year, and that’s going to drive the GM of any potential team acquiring him nuts trying to process.

If anything, this rumored news is once again an assertion of two tenets we’ve come to take as gospel so far this winter – that the Cincinnati Reds know they need a big bat for their lineup, and that the rest of the baseball world is envious of the kind of pitching depth the Reds have put together.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstov...rade-rumors-chicago-white-sox-cincinnati-reds

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

The overhaul of the St. Louis Cardinals is nearly complete

Chaim Bloom took over as president of baseball operations of the St. Louis Cardinals following the end of the 2025 season, doing so after serving as an advisor to exiting PoBO John Mozeliak dating back to September of 2024. Prior to those jobs with that particular NL Central power, Bloom served as Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox from October of 2019 until his firing near the end of the 2023 season.

Bloom, I would wager, has a pretty good feel for both the farm system in place in the Red Sox organization as well as the way in which their ownership group works. So, it’s somewhat unsurprising to see him having struck two major trades with Boston, even if – in hindsight – it’s probably somewhat odd to see two huge salary moves between the same two clubs in one single offseason.

That’s precisely what’s happened, however. St. Louis, mired in (for them) a serious rebuild after finishing 71-91, 83-79, and 78-84 in full-season play dating back to 2023, entered this offseason not only with longtime head Mozeliak scheduling his own departure from the organization, but with a pretty public mandate to scale back their big-money expenditures and focus on a roster overhaul aimed far into the future. Nolan Arenado’s situation became the flashpoint for such direction over a year ago, and while the Cards haven’t (yet) managed to find a taker for the $37 million still owed to the future Hall of Famer, they have now officially manged to jettison both of Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras to Boston and save a pile of money in the process.

In something of an interesting twist, pitcher Hunter Dobbins – who made 11 starts in 13 appearances for the Red Sox at the big league level last season – is the lone player heading back to St. Louis who was in the Boston organziation when Bloom was running things there. The rest of the two respective hauls came on board more recently, in case that’s any indication of just how long-term the Cardinals were willing to project when it came time to making these two deals go through. So while these two respective deals for Gray and Contreras surely had Bloom’s connections with Boston written all over them, it wasn’t purely so he could pilfer the farm system he himself had created.

What he has done through looping his known quantities in Boston into the equation, though, is shrink St. Louis’ payroll significantly. Per FanGraphs, their estimated 2026 payroll now sits at just $106 million after wrapping their 2025 season at $144 million, and that’s before they probably find a taker for Arenado somewhere else…even though Boston is still in the 3B mix with Alex Bregman floating in free agency. Further deals sending away Lars Nootbar ($5.7 million in 2026) and/or Brendan Donovan ($5.4 million) could reduce those figures even further, moves that would continue to pull the Cards right into exactly what they’re aiming to be at the moment.

Namely, a rebuilding team – but a rebuilding team that’s losing games on the cheap, not on the expensive. There’s nothing worse, after all, than actively being bad in the loss column while also being on the hook for a lot of bloated, bad contracts. This series of moves by the new St. Louis front office, though, has steered them into the much more palatable waters where they’re bad now, but hoarding cash to use to emerge sooner from their rebuild than they otherwise would have, something that should be viewed as an unfortunate development for the rest of the division.

To Boston’s credit in this, each of Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras still bring a lot to the table, and the Sox are going to be better for it in 2026. Flexing their financial might here landed them two established players who previously had no-trade clauses, moves that suggest they not only used their dollars, but their reputation as a place where you can go to win baseball games as a huge selling point that other franchises simply couldn’t offer.

The Cincinnati Reds, in particular, should be watching St. Louis with anxious eyes. This is their window, after all, a time for them to press the gas for a small ‘peak’ as they continue to employ their boring and blasé path of ‘avoiding peaks and valleys’ to maintain some relevance from borderline mediocrity. They’ve got a roster in place that, with a few additions, could have the upper hand over most all of the division at the moment, especially that of a St. Louis franchise that has so long held that upper hand itself. And St. Louis, clearly, is making the kinds of moves now to make sure they don’t forfeit that upper hand for long, leaving the Reds faced with the significant decision of whether to go for it while they’ve got it, or simply bide their time once more until it’s once again much, much more difficult to succeed with their slow-boat approach.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstove/49316/st-louis-cardinals-contrars-arenado-rebuild-nl-central

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

If the Cincinnati Reds are done making big moves for the offense…

Tuesday saw another rival of the Cincinnati Reds make a significant move towards being better at baseball during calendar year 2026. The Pittsburgh Pirates, of all clubs, jumped at signing free agent 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn, landing him on a deal worth some $29 million across a pair of seasons, proving that they are at least moderately dedicated to the concept of successful baseball while generational ace Paul Skenes is under team control on the very same roster.

For the Reds, it’s yet another name off the board who, in theory, would have made a lot of sense for their club. O’Hearn hit .281/.366/.437 (127 wRC+) last year between Baltimore and San Diego, his patient approach and consistent pop providing a service that would have been a boon to any offense, but his profile – and the positional versatility of Spencer Steer – would’ve made the two pretty perfect rotational pieces between a corner OF spot and 1B most days. Work in Sal Stewart with that trio (while adding in the DH spot every day), and the three could’ve been cornerstones of the lineup while each got a day off from fielding once every third day, too.

That won’t happen now, of course. How much the Reds were interested in O’Hearn remains to be seen despite our own fascination with the idea, but the Reds have also a) been very public in their failed pursuit of Kyle Schwarber and b) still remain linked to mercurial Chicago White Sox OF Luis Robert’s services going forward. At least, that’s what we continue to hear, even though the Reds still haven’t managed to pull the right levers on any of those moves to date.

It’s enough to make you wonder if the Reds have conceded that making moves of that ilk – on players who’ll make over $14 million a year – is either too costly financially or the ask is too high in terms of trade currency. And if that’s the case, below is what the team’s offense currently looks like heading in to 2026.

C – Tyler Stephenson, Jose Trevino

1B – Spencer Steer

2B – Matt McLain

SS – Elly De La Cruz

3B – Ke’Bryan Hayes

LF – Gavin Lux, Will Benson

CF – TJ Friedl

RF – Noelvi Marte

DH – Sal Stewart

The utility options with that group include a trio of guys you’ve heard from before in Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Rece Hinds, and Blake Dunn. Add in that prospects Hector Rodriguez and Edwin Arroyo are on the cusp in AAA, and there’s some pretty talented (albeit with flaws) youth that’s ready to step in and step up if the need arises. There’s even a case to be made that CES, Hinds, and/or Dunn could form a potentially effective platoon with Benson and Lux, given that the first trio all hit right-handed and the latter two hit lefty.

What that roster does not have, though, is a proven outfielder who can hit lefties and, in theory, platoon with the likes of Lux and Benson. It also doesn’t have a middle infielder with defensive aplomb, a player theoretically in the role of Santiago Espinal (who, also in theory, would hit better than Espinal ever did). So, even if the Reds are mostly done making the kinds of moves that would shake up everything on paper, there still seem to be two pretty key peripheral moves they’d need to make to build this ground-up roster in a way that includes a couple cheaper failsafes.

Rob Refsynder would’ve made for an interesting fit, for instance. Soon to be 35, the former Reds farmhand has settled into a classic role of mashing lefties and lefties only, hitting a combined .276/.364/.440 dating back to the start of the 2022 season with the Boston Red Sox and playing corner outfield on the days he does so. He just signed for a year and $6.25 million with the Seattle Mariners, however, and ain’t on the market anymore.

If anything, a reunion with Miguel Andujar seems within the realm of expectations for this Reds club, even if there are pretty clear concerns about his ability to actually play any defense. If adding a little bit more palatable defense is a thing the Reds want to prioritize with the same signing, perhaps Randal Grichuk becomes an option (even if his own once-lauded defense has slipped a good bit as he’s aged). Harrison Bader is likely way out of this price range despite still being available, with an Austin Hays reunion likely in a similar realm.

As for a utility infielder, the likes of Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ramon Urias highlight the glove-first portion of that free agent group. The former approached competence with the bat as recent as 2024 when he posted a 93 wRC+ split between the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates, though that number plummeted to just 75 in 2025 split between the same two clubs (even though his defense at SS/2B/3B remained well regarded throughout). In Urias, there’s significantly more offensive upside – he posted a wRC+ of 114 with 11 homers in just 301 PA for Baltimore as recently as 2023 and swatted 16 in 445 PA en route to a 105 wRC+ in 2022 – and he has consistently graded as an excellent defender at both 2B and 3B. However, he’s got limited experience at SS (and none since 2022), didn’t grade well there when tasked with the job, and hit poorly enough after landing in Houston last year that he ended up getting non-tendered. Signing him would mean putting the pressure on Matt McLain to slide over to SS in order to get Elly De La Cruz a day off here and there.

That’s the realm where the Reds would look if they’ve moved beyond trying to find a ‘full time’ or ‘everyday’ player as an addition and, instead, are now looking to round out their bench and platoons. At least, that’s the realm they’re in on the free agent market, as there is clearly the chance they try to pick up one of these kinds of complementary pieces via trade. Doing that might mean they can bring in a player even cheaper than these options, something we know the Reds are always trying to do, but regardless it will be interesting to see if the club fully pivots to looking at peripheral pieces after missing out on yet another guy who looked the part of an everyday part of their offense.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstove/49326/cincinnati-reds-rumors-ramon-miguel-andujar

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

To the Reds credit, we get to sleep on Brandon Williamson and Rhett Lowder

It was announced earlier in December that Aaron Harang would be inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame during the summer of 2026. His spate of brilliance came during the mid-aughts era of Reds history, a time when he became both the first pitcher in National League history to lead the league in both wins and strikeouts in the same year and not win the Cy Young Award, but also logged a 4th place finish one year later.

His 2005 season can be, in hindsight, considered his breakout campaign, a year in which he logged 211.2 IP and 4.5 bWAR. In any era, that’s borderline ace stuff, and he hadn’t even peaked yet.

Eric Milton, Ramon Ortiz, Brandon Claussen, Luke Hudson, Randy Keisler, and Elizardo Ramirez combined to make 126 starts that year next to Harang’s 32, and that six-some combined to post -3.5 bWAR. The dearth of pitching depth behind Harang is what torpedoed that entire era of Cincinnati Reds baseball, a roster construction epidemic that was endemic for decades within this organization, who had – even when insanely successful – been built on hitting first, second, and third with starting pitching deep down the pecking order of priority.

Congrats to Aaron, by the way. It’s a well deserved honor while also being a timely reminder of just how different things used to be on the Reds roster. Nowadays, it’s almost the inverse – they’re as deep in starting pitching as they’ve perhaps ever been while desperately on the hunt for someone, anyone who can hit a line drive over a hundred miles per hour.

Even after losing both Nick Martinez and Zack Littell into the realm of free agency, Cincinnati’s potential rotation for the 2026 season looks stout. It’s headlined by the likes of Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbott, a pair of All Stars who have consistently shown themselves to be among the few elite pitchers on the senior circuit (even if they go about their craft in vastly different ways). Nick Lodolo, a former 1st round pick and top prospect himself, has flashed ability just as elite as those two, and his 2025 season was his most complete to date. Brady Singer has served as an absolute rock and innings-eater wherever he has been, and Cincinnati’s where he calls home once again. Then there’s Chase Burns, whose arm has as much upside as any we’ve seen around here since perhaps Aroldis Chapman, though Greene himself would probably like a word in that conversation.

Here we are on the cusp of 2026, a playoff appearance in 2025 freshly under their belt, and we aren’t even talking about their former 1st rounder from 2023. The guy who Baseball America ranked as the #26 prospect in the game after he dazzled at the big league level for 30.2 IP at the tail end of 2024. If the Reds had a player with that profile in the era of Harang, we’d have already crowned him the next great hope of the entire franchise.

It’s a similar story for one Brandon Williamson, who’s already been a) a 2nd round pick, b) a Top 100 prospect in his own right, c) a huge piece of a major trade, and d) a pitcher who’s thrown to a 106 ERA+ across 131.1 IP at the big league level! In how many eras would a player with that profile be an afterthought heading into an upcoming season? In those cavernous mid-aughts rotation, he’d be the team’s #2 starter on paper at this juncture of the winter!

Pitching, as we all now know, is a far cry from where it was two decades ago. From 2004 through 2008, Harang averaged 204.2 IP per season. Over the last five seasons, no more than three pitchers have had single-seasons with more than 204.2 IP in any year. The attrition rate at this point in MLB history is absurd, and depth of any variety is a luxury – let alone at the level the Reds have built theirs to.

In other words, being #6 or #7 on the team’s depth chart no longer means what it used to. These days, it means just as much that you might only have 100 innings in your arm for the season than it does that there are five starters on the roster better than you, and that’s where Lowder and Williamson find themselves right now. With both fresh off lost 2024 seasons – Lowder to a combo of forearm and oblique issues, Williamson due to Tommy John recovery – the Reds are going to do everything they can to slow-play these two until they are absolutely needed, and ‘absolutely needed’ they will most certainly be at some point down the road.

The Reds have an envious stockpile, and it’s as talented as its ever been. Still, it’s pretty easy to see why Nick Krall & Co. are hesitant to move any of that in deals to acquire hitting, as odds are they’ll need to tap into that depth more often than they’d ever let on. It’s a well-built arsenal that’s designed for just how much the times have changed across the Major League pitching landscape, one that evolved into a literal arms race where the Reds are positioned quite well.

Hell, I didn’t even make it to Chase Petty!

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstove/49329/rhett-lowder-brandon-williamson-cincinnati-reds-rumors

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds acquire OF Dane Myers from Miami Marlins

The Cincinnati Reds spent their Saturday morning finalizing a deal to sign outfielder JJ Bleday, the former 4th overall draft pick and former member of both the Miami Marlins and Athletics of Wherevertheyare. That move added depth to Cincinnati’s outfield, something that was a) vital and b) something that most of us considered a spot where they could truly add an impact player without further jumbling up the roster.

Well, the Reds went back to work on jumbling later Saturday, this time in the form of adding outfielder Dane Myers from the Miami Marlins in exchange for minor league outfielder Ethan O’Donnell. The Reds confirmed the move on Twitter, noting that they’d designated reliever Lyon Richardson for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

The #Reds today acquired OF Dane Myers from the Marlins in exchange for OF Ethan O’Donnell.

Additionally, RHP Lyon Richardson was designated assignment.

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) December 27, 2025

For the Reds roster, that means that Myers – a former pitcher who converted to hitting full-time after the 2019 season – adds a right-handed bat who’s shown some pretty decent work against LHP in his limited time in the bigs. He’ll turn 30 years old in March of 2026 yet has just 511 PA in the bigs under his belt, though he has managed to hit .297/.360/.456 in 203 PA against southpaws in that time. That paired with his plus defensive ability means he’ll be a platoon option for a club that now sports left-handed options in Bleday, Will Benson, Gavin Lux, and TJ Friedl opposite presumptive RF regular Noelvi Marte.

(In case that paragraph doesn’t emphasize it enough, he’s posted just a .549 OPS against RHP and will turn 30 next year. That’s a non-starter.)

It’s less about what this move adds, however. Myers is a pre-arb guy with team control and a league-minimum salary who, given the rest of the group, should serve some purpose. He also adds a potential seventh outfielder to the mix, and that mix now features a full handful of guys who we’re still not sure really deserve to get regular time out there at all, let alone regularly.

In adding Bleday and Myers the same day – literally a full-time position by platoon – the Reds have gone cheap to ‘complete’ one position on the potential roster, something of a sign that there may not be another major offensive addition actually in the pipeline. For the team that was once connected with the likes of Kyle Schwarber, Ketel Marte, Brandon Lowe, and Luis Robert Jr., among other more ‘notable’ bats, this sure reeks of the club simply copping out on the cheap.

Of course, that’s if they’re totally done, which their even further disjointed roster suggests may not be the case. The bullpen, now devoid of both Keegan Thompson and Richardson today after the Reds entered the weekend already short on options down there, seems to be a spot the team still desperately needs to address, and you’ve got to wonder if now they’ll end up using their surplus of positionless noodlebats they’ve acquired this offseason to try to help that spot via trade somewhere else.

Maybe that means they’ve got a way to unload Gavin Lux and the roughly $5 million he’ll be owed to get an arm for down there. Maybe it means they see Father Time sapping TJ Friedl’s speed and think now’s the time to move him for a legitimate piece with plenty of team control.

Maybe, though, it means the Reds saw a way to cobble together as many AAA-AAAA pieces as they could that still have minor league options remaining – as Myers does – and simply hope they can adeptly rotate through them at precisely the right times each is hot and healthy and at the end of the year they’ll end up with a full season’s worth of decent production. In essence, they’ve built a roster that will require constant substitution and tinkering, putting the onus on both Nick Krall and Tito Francona to manage it absolutely to perfection to extract its maximum value in lieu of, say, simply bringing in a player or two good enough to just dicatate that success themselves.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstove/49346/dane-myers-cincinnati-reds-miami-marlins-trade

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds designate RHP Keegan Thompson for assignment

The Keegan Thompson era of Cincinnati Reds history lasted nearly two months and featured exactly zero innings of actual professional baseball. That is, of course, if it actually ends today – and it sure looks like it has.

The Reds designated the right-hander for assignment on Saturday as they were in need of a 40-man roster spot for the recently signed JJ Bleday. MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon confirmed the news.

The Reds announced the Bleday signing. RHP Keegan Thompson was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

— Mark Sheldon (@msheldon.bsky.social) 2025-12-27T17:54:59.546Z

Thompson, 30, is a former 3rd round pick by the Chicago Cubs out of Auburn University who’d pitched to some pretty solid results across 227.1 IP in his big league career – a 3.64 ERA and career-best 10.7 K/9 in his 30.1 big league innings back in 2024. That said, his peripherals always drew his actual results into question, as he walked a lot of batters (4.4 per 9 IP) and owned just a career 4.51 FIP and 1.32 WHIP.

The Cubs designated him for assignment previously and he spent all of the 2025 season with AAA Iowa, and the deal he signed with the Reds in November was a split-contract that all but assumed he’d spend at least some time at the AAA level if he stuck around. It remains to be seen if that’ll be the case – he’ll hit waivers and have a chance to be claimed by another club – but I’d wager the Reds are hoping that he clears waivers and returns to the club in a non-roster spot as depth for the bullpen.

The move corresponded with the Reds making the Bleday signing official.

The #Reds today signed OF JJ Bleday to a one-year Major League contract
and designated for assignment RHP Keegan Thompson.

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) December 27, 2025

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstove/49341/cincinnati-reds-transactions-keegan-thompson-dfa

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds sign outfielder JJ Bleday

The Cincinnati Reds have signed a former 4th overall draft pick, a player who once ranked as high as the #20 overall prospect according to MLB.com!

In their seemingly neverending search for corner outfield upgrades, the Reds landed on former Oakland Athletic JJ Bleday, who reportedly signed a major league deal with the club on Saturday morning. MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed the news, noting that the team’s 40-man roster is currently full so a corresponding roster move will be forthcoming.

Sorry for the earlier autocorrect nonsense. Sources say Reds are in agreement on a one-year big league contract with OF JJ Bleday. Team roster is at 40 so someone will have to come off before the deal is made official.

— Mark Sheldon (@msheldon.bsky.social) 2025-12-27T16:10:05.433Z

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand adds that the deal will be worth $1.4 million for 2026, though the Reds will have control over Bleday through the arbitration process for two additional years beyond this settled amount.

JJ Bleday is finalizing a one-year, $1.4 million deal with the Reds, per source. Deal includes incentives. @ByRobertMurray was on it.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 27, 2025

As recently as 2024, Bleday was a legitimate bat who’d fit well in any lineup in the game. He hit .243/.324/.437 with 20 homers in 642 PA that year for Oakland, a season-long effort that was valued at 3.2 fWAR/2.1 bWAR. The discrepancy there is pretty much an indictment of how his defense in CF was valued, something that Oakland/Sacramento clearly had serious opinions about as they effectively began to phase him out of CF and into a corner spot just last year.

As his defense was moved down the spectrum last year, so, too, tailed off his offensive value. He hit just .212/.294/.404 with 14 homers in 344 PA last year in his new home park, and even was optioned back to AAA for a time. The lack of results paired with his service time reaching arbitration status meant he was non-tendered this offseason instead of taking down an estimated salary of $2.2 million, though he now comes with a trio of years of team control for the Reds (should they choose to keep him on the roster that long).

The upside with Bleday is clear. There are ample reasons why he was drafted so highly, rated so highly, and even once traded straight up for fellow highly regarded pitcher AJ Puk in the deal that swapped the two southpaws between Miami and Oakland. There’s also a chance that last season was a bit of bad luck for Bleday, whose BABIP tanked to just .251 (after it was .279 during his breakout 2024 season).

What’s clear, though, is that this is a reclamation project that the Reds are willing to take on, one that doesn’t even seem to fit the roster perfectly at the moment. Bleday’s a lefty who has hit RHP better than LHP for his career (with 2025 the lone exception), and that overlaps a ton with the likes of Will Benson and Gavin Lux. Ideally if the Reds were going the cheap route for platoon options in the outfield, adding a righty who smashes LHP to complement those two is what they should have been after, though there’s a caveat here that Bleday still has an option remaining.

This isn’t the kind of signing that would, in theory, prevent the Reds from still pursuing a larger upgrade to both the outfield and the offense, but it does further muddy a roster that’s running out of places to stash these kinds of upside plays. Perhaps it’s an indication that there’s a future trade in the works to help thin out that glut – Lux is slated to make about $5 million in 2026 after a lackluster 2025 – or maybe it’s just the Reds getting what they can while it’s out there cheaply.

Whatever the reasons, it’s another Vanderbilt connection with the Reds that’s gone down since Derek Johnson – former Vandy pitching coach and recruiter – has been on Cincinnati’s staff. Sonny Gray! Caleb Cotham! Curt Casali! Sal Stewart was a Vandy commit! Carson Fulmer! Tony Kemp! Nick Christiani! Drew Hayes!

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstove/49333/cincinnati-reds-jj-bleday-free-agent-rumors

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds links – Slim Sal Stewart & a Matt McLain renaissance

Where, exactly, the Cincinnati Reds choose to deploy Sal Stewart during the upcoming season remains very much to be seen. The 22 year old took the lineup by storm when called upon late in 2025, but did so primarily while rotating through 1B and 3B to keep each of Spencer Steer and Ke’Bryan Hayes ‘fresh’ down the stretch.

There’s a good chance the Reds keep said rotation in order going forward, what with the other two respective names fresh off Gold Glove Award and Gold Glove Award finalist finishes at their corner infield positions in 2025, respectively. That may mean that Sal ends up getting ample time at DH to keep his bat in the lineup, though there remains the chance that he could even get some run at 2B – a position where he does have 61 games of minor league experience under his belt.

Said belt is a little tighter these days, too, perhaps even as preparation for those frequent moves around the diamond. As our friends at Redleg Nation noted over the weekend, Sal told the folks on the Reds Hot Stove League show that he’s lost 26 lbs while getting in shape this offseason. He remains listed as 6’1” and 224 lbs on his Baseball Reference player page, but some super complicated advanced mathematics now tells me he’s closer to 200 lbs at the moment.

If the dropped weight means increased mobility – and if the increased mobility means increased defensive range – there’s a real chance we could see Sal deployed all over the infield in 2026, a development that could collectively lift the average output from that roster unit significantly over 2025. Try to recall that the likes of Santiago Espinal, Connor Joe, the rotting husk of Jeimer Candelario, Garrett Hampson (really), former prospect with sheen Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and even Miguel Andujar got time around the infield just last season, and replacing just their production with what’s expected from Sal is a major on-paper improvement.

If his defense comes with any improved aplomb through shedding weight, he could even begin to eat into the playing time of Gavin Lux, too, who now looks completely positionless after the weekend additions of JJ Bleday and Dane Myers to the outfield mix. And if he hits the way we all hope he can, well, he’s going to get 500+ PA in 2026 at the expense of just about everyone else.

That’s as things stand right now, of course, and that’s all very much subject to change. It’s hard to see the moves the Reds made on Saturday and not think there’s an additional deal in the works, as the roster just feels like there’s one too many guys for the spots they’ve got available. That’s normally not a problem for good clubs, it’s just not the kind of thing the Cincinati Reds, of all clubs, typically pay to possess. Relegating Lux, for example, to the final guy off the bench would be a net positive development if it’s because Sal and Ke’Bryan and McLain all hit/play well enough to demand full-time roles, but the Reds aren’t the kind of club to pay $5 million for the last man on the bench – especially if they think that player has some trade value.

As for McLain and 2B, well, it sure seems like the Reds are still very much optimistic about that being ‘2B McLain’ on the scorecard every day for 2026 and beyond. MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon took a closer look at the scenario this morning (with quotes from manager Terry Francona echoing said optimism), and it’s clear that there are still high hopes for their former 1st round pick for now.

The thing about the Sal/McLain dynamic right now, though, is that McLain stands out as the current backup shortstop option on the roster. 2025 saw him get four starts at the position as Elly De La Cruz commanded it pretty much every single day for six months, but as the club looks to get Elly a bit more rest in 2026 there’s a very real chance we see McLain get many more starts at short next season – a development that could open a more clear path for Sal to get time at 2B, should his defense play well enough there.

Though it’s hardly a dream scenario for Reds fans who pine to have the roster built as bulletproof and definable as possible as soon as possible, this even reeks of the kind of thing that may not truly get sorted out until they all get to camp in Goodyear in February. If Sal shows up and all the offseason work he’s putting in truly begins to show out on the fields, maybe it’s then that the Reds front office finally realizes they can move on from Lux and they try to deal him then. If he shows up and it’s just not obviously working, though, the Reds still have ample options on the table – both metaphysically and of the minor league variety, if need be.

In retrospect, it’s a bit funny to realize all of this nebulous position talk in/re Sal is all because the Reds went gonzo with their last best position-player prospect’s position just last July. Where Sal was going to end up was in question then because it was Noelvi Marte who was newly plying his trade at the hot corner at the big league level only for the Reds to toss him to the wolves in RF and bring in Hayes to even further put down roots at the position. And just like that, the franchise that had perhaps the best future prospect depth at 3B of any of them gave itself the exercise of moving both of their best and brightest off the position within a few months.

These are good problems to have, of course. Depth is never a bad thing, so long as enough guys have minor league options – and Cincinnati’s do. Injuries will run their course, as we’ve seen with Steer’s shoulder last year, McLain’s lost 2024 altogether, and the wrist issue CES dealt with along the way, and that’s how you end up remembering that Jacob Hurtubise and Blake Dunn made the Opening Day roster just last year. Still, it’s a puzzle with redundancies that hasn’t quite revealed its perfect fit just yet, and it’s enough to make you wonder just what else is up.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/red-reposter/49350/cincinnati-reds-links-sal-stewart-matt-mclain-rumors

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Edwin Arroyo lighting up Puerto Rican Winter League play

Cincinnati Reds shortstop prospect Edwin Arroyo hasn’t exactly had the meteoric rise many hoped for when he was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the deal that sent Luis Castillo the other way. His 2024 season was completely wiped out by a shoulder injury suffered while diving into a base in spring training play at Goodyear, and the numbers he put up in Arizona Fall League late last year was far from inspiring.

His 2025 season with AA Chattanooga began to show signs of life, however. He hit .284/.345/.371 in 521 PA for the Lookouts and once again had his typically excellent defensive prowess on display up the middle of the infield, a season that’s got him on the cusp of his first big league call-up in 2026 should things continue to progress.

Said progression is currently underway for the Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rican Winter League play, where Edwin has absolutely mashed for the Crabbers. As of this morning, he currently owns the highest OBP (.429) of the 76 hitters who have logged at least 40 PA so far in league play, his .355 average ranking second. And while he failed to hit for much power at all while up against AA Southern League pitchers in 2025, he’s slugging .468 so far in Puerto Rico – a mark that ranks second among those 76 hitters, too.

For a bit of reference, there are dozens of current and former big leaguers currently plying their trade in the PRWL. Two-time World Series winning catcher Christian Vazquez is there, as is longtime Minnesota Twin (and former NLCS MVP) Eddie Rosario. Old friends Shed Long and Narciso Crook are also down there swinging bats, while former Reds pitchers Alexis Diaz, Jose De Leon, Daryl Thompson, and Ashton Goudeau are among the handfuls of arms who’ve appeared in at least one big league game taking the mound in league play.

For more leaderboards from the Puerto Rican Winter League, check Baseball Reference.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/farmers-only/49354/edwin-arroyo-cincinnati-reds-top-prospects

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds add reliever Yunior Marte on minor league deal

The Cincinnati Reds continued to add to their bullpen depth this week, albeit again on the frugal side of the transaction tree. As Francys Romero reported, the Reds are bringing in right-hander Yunior Marte on a minor league deal that includes an invite to spring training in Goodyear, a deal that will pay him some $1.05 million should he make the big league roster come Opening Day.

Yunior Marte’s contract with the Cincinnati Reds includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training, per source.

Marte would earn $1.05 million if he makes the Opening Day roster.

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) December 31, 2025

Marte, who’ll turn 31 in February, spent a good chunk of the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons in Major League Baseball before spending 2025 in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons. His big league time was marked by elite fastball velocity (98.3 mph average across 39.1 IP in 2023) and admittedly iffy results (just a 74 ERA+ and 4.77 FIP in 113.1 total IP) while splitting time with the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies, but his work with Chunichi in the Japan Central League last year was much better (32.1 IP, 1.95 ERA, 3.35 FIP).

Originally signed by the Kansas City Royals back in 2012, Marte landed with the Giants as a free agent in December of 2020 before later being traded to the Phillies for Erik Miller. The Phillies granted him free agency at the end of the 2024 season and he briefly spent time with the Seattle Mariners in early 2025 before they released him to pursue opportunities abroad.

With Chunichi in 2025, he was teammates with Michael Chavis, whom the Reds also recently signed to a minor league deal. That club also featured on Jason Vosler, whom you may remember from that one ridiculous week in April 2023 with Cincinnati in which he socked dingers in three straight games during the season’s first homestand while serving as the unintentional replacement for Joey Votto at 1B.

Marte, it’s worth pointing out, is out of options at this stage of his career. So, if he somehow forces his way onto the Reds active roster they’ll have to pass him through waivers to again ship him back to the minors. That means they’ll need to be pretty firmly convinced he’s ready for big league action when they finally decide to promote him lest they risk losing him for being used merely as a short-term injury replacement for a different arm.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstove/49356/cincinnati-yunior-marte-bullpen-rumors

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

MLB Roundup – Toronto, Houston land Japanese stars

There’s almost always a cyclical nature to the MLB offseason. It typically begins with a flurry, especially now that Qualifying Offer decisions (and their $20+ million price tags) force the hands of teams within a week of the end of the World Series. Teams often try to get a jump on the offseason and put certain new faces in prominent places, setting the market of sorts.

That typically calms a bit before the Winter Meetings, at which point trade talks heat up and a few more names come off the board. A lull typically sets in right after, however, as the holiday season puts something of a moratorium on major deals. Teams – very much including the Cincinnati Reds – then find themselves operating with the clock seemingly in their favor with the regular season inching closer, hoping that ticking noise gives them some additional leverage with players who are still out there looking for jobs (or, in trade terms, with those teams out there who still have pieces they must move).

It’s with that backdrop that we address the most recent major moves in the sport, as those were dictated by their own completely independent schedule. When the stars from NPB in Japan get posted for signing with MLB clubs, that comes with a 45 day window in which the negotiations can take place. So, there becomes a hard deadline for when these players must sign (or not), a plot and script wholly different than what’s going on with the very same 30 MLB clubs and, say, Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette.

The windows of several of Japan’s biggest names all came to a close within the last week, and the dominos began to fall accordingly. The Houston Astros jumped at the chance to sign pitcher Tatsuya Imai, landing the righty for a reported $54 million over the course of three years and announcing the deal just yesterday. Today, we learned that corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto will head to the loaded Toronto Blue Jays on a four-year contract worth an estimated $60 million. That’s all several weeks after the Chicago White Sox took a gander with slugger Munetaka Murakami right before Christmas, landing him for $34 million over the course of two seasons.

Kona Takahashi, however, will reportedly return to the Seibu Lions in Japan. Will Sammon of The Athletic reported as such on Saturday, noting that Takahashi simply didn’t get the kind of offers from MLB clubs that would prompt him to make the jump at this time.

There are several things to unpack here.

For one, it’s an example of several markets jumping at the chance to sign big-name NPB stars who haven’t typically explored that route before. The Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, and Los Angeles Dodgers have leaned prominently on Japanese stars for years, yet so far none have landed an NPB player in this particular window. In Imai, Houston has signed their first NPB player since Kaz Matsui back in 2007 (with Yusei Kikuchi having been acquired via trade last year), while Murakami landed with the White Sox as the first Japanese player they’ve signed since Tad Iguchi back in 2005.

Imai, in particular, creates another interesting storyline in that Houston now projects to have a payroll over the current luxury tax threshold, something that may cause some issues with their owner. In other words, the Astros may now be trying to dump some salary to help facilitate this signing, and that’s where this may have a ripple effect for the Reds. We already profiled Christian Walker as a potential buy-low opportunity should the Astros eat a little cash to move him, and we previously heard about the Reds being potentially interested in glove-first outfielder Jake Meyers.

With Okamoto, there’s now wonder what that means for further Blue Jays dealings, particularly in regards to top free agents Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker. Okamoto is primarily a 3B but has experience in the corner outfield, too, and that gives Toronto a bit of flexibility as they attempt to shuffle their roster around. However, there are a ton of other big names already on the ledger with that club that have earned routes to everyday roles, and adding another one of the caliber of Bichette/Tucker seems tough to envision without a major trade to clear out someone else. Either scenario creates quite the trickle-down effect on the rest of the sport, obviously.

What’s undeniably clear with each of the two most recent signings is that some of the absolute best teams in the game just got better. They got deeper. They also further dictated which moves will come later this offseason, which helps shape the market in which the Reds will try to navigate down the road.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstove/49362/mlb-roundup-toronto-houston-okamoto-imai-japan

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Community Prospect Rankings are near!

Each year here at Red Reporter you, the fine folks who fuel the ship, put your heads together and rank the top prospects down on the Cincinnati Reds farm. Our Community Prospect Rankings have become the single biggest crowdsourcing event we do around these parts, and it always brings with it the requisite surprises.

The Reds farm is in an interesting place at the moment. Graduated from the rankings is one Chase Burns, who took his electric arm to the big leagues in 2025 for long enough to no longer retain ‘prospect’ status. That’s not the case yet for Sal Stewart, however, who retains his despite his electric work at the end of last season.

Rhett Lowder’s back and healthy, while young Steele Hall has been drafted into the mix. Alfredo Duno has all the makings of a franchise backstop after a breakout 2025 season in the minors, while former 1st rounder Cam Collier looks like he’s over the thumb injury that sapped some of his power last year.

Where do CPR ‘veterans’ like Chase Petty and Edwin Arroyo fit in? How high do Tyson Lewis’ statcast numbers take him in this year’s ranks? Will there be a player you pine for that we’ve initially overlooked who comes parachuting into the ranks out of seemingly nowhere?

We’ll find out beginning this Friday, January 9th. CPR voting will open for the #1 spot in the rankings that morning and we’ll leave them open all weekend long, giving you several days to weigh in on the top overall spot for the top prospect on the farm. From there, we’ll race through spots #2 through #20 in the run-up to pitchers and catchers reporting to spring camp in Goodyear, Arizona.

Put it on your calendar! The CPR is back!

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/communi...reds-prospect-rankings-red-reporter-community