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[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

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Is there a left-handed twist still up the Cincinnati Reds sleeve?

It isn’t exactly a who’s who of modern baseball sluggers, but it’s impossible not to notice a few specifics about the hitters the Cincinnati Reds had in 2025 and, conveniently for this article, no longer have.

Miguel Andujar was their biggest trade deadline acquisition on the hitting front, a right-handed hitter who mashed lefties with the team formerly known as the Oakland A’s prior to landing in Cincinnati shortly after July 31st.

Don’t forget, though, that the Reds actually sought out the services of Garrett Hampson back in late May. It was certainly early enough in the year that I don’t blame you one bit for forgetting about it, but the Reds also gave Hampson a pair of starts (among a trio of games played) in left field – and he hits right-handed, too. That all came just two weeks after the Reds sent Andrew Moore to the San Diego Padres to acquire Connor Joe – a right-handed hitter who specializes at hitting lefties – to help augment their corner outfield and corner infield mix.

Hell, infielder Santiago Espinal even started four games as the team’s left fielder in 2025! The career (right-handed hitting) utility infielder landed those among the just six games in his career where he’s started in left – with the other two coming as a member of the 2024 Reds!

Those moves came as Austin Hays – a right-handed hitting corner outfielder – battled injuries once again during a 2025 season in which he was otherwise precisely what the Reds had signed him to be. That, of course, was a right-handed hitting corner outfielder to hit in the middle of their lineup regularly because they sure as hell needed just that.

Hays, Joe, Hampson, and Andujar were all brought in during calendar year 2025, and all are now in free agency. Espinal, brought in early in 2024, is also a free agent. Right-handed hitters, all of them!

The specific dynamics of their presences and departures aren’t a one-for-one during this offseason, of course. Sal Stewart emerged as someone who almost perfectly can replicate what Andujar provided, and more. Ke’Bryan Hayes was also brought into the fold in that time, his bat completely imperfect despite him being a righty who’ll play everyday and hit lefties (at least) better than he hits righties. Noelvi Marte was moved to right full-time as a result of those two developments, so the Reds at least have built in a cadre of some righties who’ll help fill those roles.

It’s pretty obvious that’s something they knew they needed at several points last year, and they addressed it (even if they never addressed it well).

As of right now, they have (on paper) an outfield that will again likely feature one righty and two lefties most days. Last year, that was Hays, TJ Friedl, and Jake Fraley/Will Benson. This year, it looks like JJ Bleday/Will Benson, Friedl, and Marte will form that updated corps most days, with newly acquired Dane Myers (a righty) in that mix. On an everyday basis, the infield of Hayes, Elly De La Cruz (switch-hitter), Matt McLain, and Spencer Steer all has the capability of hitting righty, with Stewart – whether at DH or rotating through – providing that, too.

Both catchers Tyler Stephenson and Jose Trevino hit righty. Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Rece Hinds also hit righty, and are the depth at both corner infield and corner outfield that the Reds have in-house at the moment.

It’s enough to make you wonder if simply adding Bleday, who was brought in just last week, is enough to help augment their lefty vs. RHP portion of the lineup. Keep in mind the 2025 Reds posted just a 97 wRC+ against RHP as a team, a number that ranked tied for just 21st overall. That was also with Fraley in the fold, all while Bleday managed just a 76 wRC+ against RHP in his season in otherwise hitter-friendly Sacramento. It’s enough to make the otherwise obvious fit of chasing Kyle Schwarber earlier this offseason even that much more obvious, really.

The question now is whether the Reds will actually put their money towards addressing the pretty decent need for a left-handed hitter before Opening Day. Because if they do not, that puts even more outsized pressure on Gavin Lux, whom they went out and acquired prior to 2025 in a move that, at the time, seemed redundant in its own right.

They certainly won’t be after the top remaining names on the market who fit that bill like Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger. Luis Arraez? Perhaps, considering he ticks all the Reds boxes for a) making contact and b) not hitting homers at all, though where he’d slot in among the everyday nine remains to be seen. It’s a spot on the greater roster that still remains to be determined, even if Bleday and Benson have some compelling cases as to why they deserve the chance given the current options.

Anyway, here’s another picture of current free agent Jesse Winker for no particular reason:

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstove/49368/cincinnati-reds-rumors-luis-arraez-jesse-winker

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

The Cincinnati Red most likely to be dealt before Opening Day is…

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Reds fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Cincinnati Reds saved all of their holiday season news for one single day, backfilling the openings in their outfield with a signing of lefty JJ Bleday and acquiring righty Dane Myers from the Miami Marlins later that day.

Both moves were low-cost, with Bleday on a reported salary of $1.4 million for 2026 (with team control through arbitration going forward) and Myers still a pre-arb guy who’ll make essentially the league minimum this season. While it’s certainly Cincinnati’s M.O. to bring in talent that’s a) cheap as can be and b) controllable going forward, it also may be an indication that they are just about tapped out with their payroll possibilities with pitchers and catchers due to report to Goodyear in just over one month.

That’s not to say the Reds are ‘done,’ though. In the wake of those signings, the crew from The Athletic relayed that the team is still open to further additions – namely in the outfield – should things line up the right way for them. That’s encouraging considering Bleday’s awful 2025, Myers’ extremely limited experience (despite already being 30 years old in 2026), TJ Friedl’s injuries (and him also hitting 30), and Noelvi Marte’s up and down career to date (and extremely limited experience as an actual outfielder).

Will Benson, of course, is still very much in the mix, and here’s where we point out that Benson, Bleday, Myers, and Marte all still have options remaining if need be. These are pieces of the puzzle with upside, yes, but aren’t necessarily etched in stone for 162 games as big leaguers next year if things don’t turn around for them.

That opens the can of worms. If the Reds are a) still open to further additions of specific impact and b) are right around tapped-out on their payroll, it’s hard to see them bringing in anyone of note without shedding a little big of salary in the other direction. With that in mind, the latest edition of MLB Reacts for the Reds focuses on which currently rostered veteran making more than league-minimum in 2026 profiles as the most likely to be moved by the Reds in the event of them bringing in another impactful player to offset it.

In Gavin Lux, you’ve got a guy who continues to be positionless and who’s set to make ~$5 million in 2026 in his final year of team control before reaching free agency. Despite possessing zero pop (.374 SLG in 2025 while calling GABP his home park), he did post a 102 wRC+ on a team otherwise devoid of offense, his left-handed swing a good complement to the litany of righties around. Still, he’s more DH than anything and his lack of defense meant he was just a 0.3 fWAR and -0.2 bWAR guy, and there’s worry his .351 BABIP last season rendered him nothing more than a slightly lucky, light-hitting platoon bat who doesn’t play defense well anywhere. If someone bites – and you can replace his offense with someone with more pop – he could be on the move.

Spencer Steer, on the other hand, still has three full seasons of team control as he hits arbitration (at roughly $4.5 million) for the first time in 2026. A shoulder injury set him back early, but he rebounded well after an awful March/April (.767 OPS, 19 HR in 122 G) and was a Gold Glove finalist for his solid work at 1B. He’s versatile defensively – to a point – but Sal Stewart’s emergence could mean he’s a decent ‘sell-high’ guy who just got a bit more expensive. Whereas moving Lux would be a salary clearance, Steer – who’s salary is almost the same – would be to actually move a player and get something decent in return while having an in-house replacement there.

Brady Singer came in last year from Kansas City and did exactly what the Reds hoped he’d do. He stayed healthy, made every start, and even overcame a mid-year slump to finish as a 3.1 fWAR/2.9 bWAR rotation cog. He’s durable, and that’s vital for most every team, but he’s also going to be the highest paid player on the Reds at some ~$11 million in 2026 in his final year before free agency. So, he’s expensive by Cincinnati standards, not going to sign long-term, and provides an essential service any team would appreciate. If the Reds trust their inexperienced pitching depth enough, moving Singer would be the most obvious way to a) get an actual return and b) free up the most money to use elsewhere.

Finally, there’s TJ Friedl, who played more in 2026 than he ever had before and put a lot of his lost 2024 season in the rear-view mirror. He plays a premium defensive position, is one of the few actual outfielders the Reds do have, is their leadoff hitter every single day, and gets on-base without striking out – something the Reds preach to every one of their players. However, he turned 30, his SLG has dipped for three straight seasons, and the once elite speed and baserunning he displayed prior to the leg injuries in 2024 haven’t returned. He’s set to make ~$5 million via arbitration, too, and has two more years of control after 2026, so there’s a ton of Friedl out there the Reds would be trading, but that means (in theory) they could get a lot back for him, too…if they can find a team who thinks he’s more fixable than beginning an inevitable decline already.

What say you? Which of these four veteran Reds do you think is the most likely to be moved before Opening Day?

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstov...t-likely-to-be-traded-singer-friedl-steer-lux

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Keegan Thompson claimed by Rockies, Lyon Richardson outrighted

The MLB transaction schedule gets a bit wonky during the holiday season, especially around the waiver and claiming process. That made for an extra-anxious wait for both Keegan Thompson and Lyon Richardson when both were designated for assignment following the sigining of outfielder JJ Bleday and the acquisition of outfielder Dane Myers from the Miami Marlins.

Both Cincinnati Reds righties formerly had spots on the 40-man roster. The Reds deemed them as the two players whose roster spots were the most fungible, and so they were effectively booted off the roster in late December. Today, we finally found out what’ll happen to them.

As MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed, Thompson was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Rockies, while Richardson cleared waivers and was outrighted to AAA Louisville.

Reds news: RHP Keegan Thompson was claimed off waivers by the Rockies. Thompson, who signed a $1.3 million contract in November, was designated for assignment on Dec. 27.RHP Lyon Richardson cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Louisville.

— Mark Sheldon (@msheldon.bsky.social) 2026-01-07T18:58:18.036Z

Thompson’s career with the Reds will go down as a mere footnote seeing as he never pitched for them at any level following his split-contract contract signing in free agency back in November. Obviously, the Reds liked enough of what they saw of him last year with AAA Iowa in the Chicago Cubs organization to take a flier on him, but weren’t so enamored with him that they were afraid to use his roster spot in another way. Now, he’ll take his talents to the high altitude of Denver – good luck with that.

In Richardson, I think the Reds lucked out a bit. Obviously, their former 2nd round pick has been all over the map both at the AAA level and with the Reds in parts of the last three seasons, but the arm talent is still very much there when you watch him pitch. For a time during the 2025 season he was pitching in high leverage situations in games the Reds led, and owned a 1.85 ERA and 20/8 K/BB through his first 20 appearances (24.1 IP). The wheels fell off shortly thereafter, though, but he’s still just 25, still only has one full year of being a reliever exclusively under his belt, and at least has that short track record of success on a big league mound to lean back on.

He’ll report to AAA after being outrighted since he does not have enough service time to reject the move. My guess is that he’s still very, very much in the plans of the Reds for 2026, but his hot/cold streak (and the fact that he’s out of options) meant they needed his roster spot enough to gamble on him. Now, they’ll have the chance to be patient with him and call him up when he’s either busted the door down or when an injury issue ahead of him on the depth chart gives him another shot.

Frankly, I’m pretty surprised the Rockies didn’t claim him, too, though as a Colorado resident for the last 14 years I should know by now to never be surprised at a Rockies decision.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/cincinn...egan-thompson-claimed-rockies-lyon-richardson

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds links – FanDuel TV deal up in air for Reds

It’s almost impossible to talk about the Cincinnati Reds without talking about money.

How much they have. How much they don’t.

Who they could sign. Who they must deal away.

Who does – and does not – have a long-term contract extension.

Despite them consistently operating in the bottom third of the league in terms of average annual payroll, the Reds have at least historically not had to have their direct revenue streams talked about much in public. That, though, hasn’t been the case in recent seasons, as their local TV deal has continued to be a thorn in their side.

You once watched their broadcasts on Fox Sports Ohio. You’ve since seen them play on Bally, on FanDuel, and heard the name ‘Diamond Sports Group’ more times than you’d ever cared to hear. Over the last seven or so seasons, the strain put on existing deals that were based on the classic cable-cord model has been exacerbated exponentially, with increased use of streaming hitting the old contracts right in their wallets.

The Reds aren’t alone in this, as nine MLB clubs are waiting to hear what happens next to Main Street Sports Group, the operator who is now in charge of the regional FanDuel networks that once were run by the now bankrupt Diamond Sports Group. The math (and the overall problem) is quite simple – deals were made and revenue promised based on estimates of just how many people would tune in to watch the old fashioned way, but technology (and the ways in which streaming access has flourished) has put pressure on carriers to amend those terms or simply lose all leverage. As they’ve tried to adapt, though, they’ve lost said leverage to gouge viewers, and now they simply don’t make as much on each broadcast as they thought they would when they signed deals to broadcast local games for teams.

As a result, they don’t have the money to pay what they said they’d pay. The St. Louis Cardinals even got straight up stiffed on a payment last month, as The Athletic reported earlier on Wednesday, and the other MLB clubs (as well as several NBA and NHL clubs in similar situations) are now waiting anxiously to find out if that will happen to them next. Will they simply not get paid? Will MLB step in to run the local broadcasts (as they have in other markets)? Will Main Street Sports Group get sold to someone who’ll find the money?

Last winter Rob Manfred had luxury-tax money — up to $15m per team — to give clubs that took haircuts on their TV deals: a “media disruption distribution.” But it was a 1-year deal that MLB did not bring back this winter. The problems, though? They’re back.www.nytimes.com/athletic/694…

— Evan Drellich (@evandrellich.bsky.social) 2026-01-07T16:15:34.860Z

It’s enough to cause headaches to any team involved, but the Reds, specifically, must have migraines. Their ownership group is spread between so many different entities that this revenue hiccup cannot simply be wiped away by one single owner saying screw it, sign the guy and I’ll figure it out later. Instead, every single move they make is based on pre-agreed upon budgets signed off on by the litany of owners, and any minor tweak to that forces a return to the round table for another set of negotiations. So, this going on with just over a month remaining to set their roster prior to spring training beginning is quite the conundrum for Cincinnati’s front office and operations crew to manage.

Do they have $8 million to spend? $1.5 million?

Are they actually over budget given a revenue pause?

This hiccup isn’t the lone reason why the trade market has gone completely silent and free agent spending has been incredibly slow to take off this offseason, but it’s surely one of the very significant driving factors. For the Reds, that just might mean they sit even more idle than they’ve already been as the dust settles.

In other news from The Athletic, Brady Singer might be a fit for the New York Mets, who are checking into the trade market for starting pitching. He’s set to be Cincinnati’s highest-paid player in 2026 at a bit over $11 million in his final year of team control, and moving him sure would help bridge any revenue shortfall from the stuff I talked about up above. C. Trent Rosecrans talks about the club’s starting pitching depth in his latest look at the team’s roster, too.

Over at Reds.com, Mark Sheldon did a Q & A with readers on Monday that discussed a wide range of topics, including the likelihood that any current Reds are in line for long-term extensions.

The prospect crew at MLB Pipeline made some predictions about how things will shake out in 2026, and Jonathan Mayo picked Sal Stewart to be the NL Rookie of the Year. That’s pretty cool! Sal even got some light support in their poll of MLB execs on the 2026 NL ROY outlook.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/red-reposter/49376/cincinnati-reds-links-fanduel-tv-sal-stewart-nl-roy

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds arbitration filing deadline tracker

Today (Thursday the 8th of January) marks the deadline for arbitration-eligible MLB players and their teams to swap salary numbers for the 2026 season. For the Cincinnati Reds, that means negotiations with a full dozen of their currently rostered players need to wrapped up today lest they end up at the hands of an independent arbiter in another month.

Technically the deadline rolls in at 8 PM ET this evening, giving most of the day for news of any agreements, significant gaps in figures, or – god forbid – an actual long-term contract extension to hit the wires. We’ll update this post as that news comes in, giving you the latest on where the likes of Tyler Stephenson, Brady Singer, Spencer Steer, TJ Friedl, Gavin Lux, Matt McLain, et al stand with the Reds and their bottom line.

For now, just enjoy this picture of Joey Votto. Did you know Joey made his big league debut roughly six weeks after Steele Hall was born?

Spencer Steer: $4 million​

The Reds avoided arbitration with Spencer Steer, settling on a $4 million salary for 2026. That’s a tad below the $4.5 million estimated by MLB Trade Rumors back in November.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com had the news.

Gavin Lux: $5.525 million​

Welp, all the ‘savings’ from Steer’s deal being below the MLBTR model goes up in smoke as the Reds go $525,000 higher for Lux than the estimate.

Joel Sherman of the NY Post had the news.

TJ Friedl: $3.8 million​

Gordon Wittenmyer of The Enquirer has Friedl landing at $3.8 million, which is significantly below the $4.9 million estimated by MLBTR.

Will Benson: $1.725 million​

Included in the above link from Gordo is the news that Benson settled at $1.725 million, which is more or less spot on MLBTR’s estimate.

Brady Singer: TBD​

Tony Santillan: TBD​

Nick Lodolo: TBD​

According to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon on Thursday evening, the Reds have agreed to one-year deals with each of Singer, Santillan, and Lodolo. The terms of those deals have yet to be revealed, however.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/cincinnati-reds-rumors/49384/cincinnati-reds-arbitration-tracker

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

It still makes sense for the Cincinnati Reds to trade Gavin Lux

Yesterday marked the deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to come to an agreement on contract numbers for the 2026 season lest they simply be forced to publicly file and wait for compromise. The Cincinnati Reds landed on a $5.525 million deal with Gavin Lux for the season – his final arb-eligible year before reaching free agency at season’s end.

Perhaps it was that dwindling team control. Perhaps it was the $5.525 million he’ll now earn despite posting a -0.2 bWAR season in 2025 in 503 PA and still not really having a position to play. Either way, he earned the most support among you, the voters, in this week’s MLB Reacts survey that asked which among Lux, Brady Singer, Spencer Steer, or TJ Friedl was most likely to be traded away before Opening Day.

Steer and Friedl received minimum support in this, likely due to a) them actually being pretty productive, b) each having multiple years of team control remaining, and c) earning lower salaries (directly because they’ve not accrued more service time). In Singer, you’ve got the pitching version of Lux in that he’s in his final year before free agency and will be the team’s highest earner at over $12 million, but for him, he’s actually coming off a really good debut year with the Reds.

Lux is an odd bird roster-wise. He’s pretty much a DH at this point despite being just 27 (and a former shortstop), as his defense in LF (and even on the infield) was suspect at best last year. He’s a DH, though, that doesn’t slug, with just 5 dingers last year and a .374 slugging percentage in 2025. His .105 ISO was the 10th lowest among the 146 MLB players who logged at least 500 PA, and that all came with an unsustainably high .351 BABIP, to boot.

He’s a platoon-bat only. He hit .282/.361/.400 in 440 PA against RHP last year (with a .361 BABIP) while only managing one (1) extra-base hit in 63 PA against southpaws. So, you don’t want him on the field against pitchers who use one arm, and you don’t want him playing defense pretty much ever.

That’s got a role on many rosters, especially those representative of teams that actually pony up cash all over the place. But on a Reds roster that’s still lacking a big thumper (and is once again balling on a light budget), he seems a luxury good holding a roster spot that would be better used on either a) a positionless big thumper or b) a guy who can actually play good defense all over, especially on the infield.

You wouldn’t get a ton for him at this point, but you’d probably at least be able to move that money off the books. That’s as valuable as anything right now for Cincinnati, who is scraping and clawing to afford reclamation projects for key roles with guys like JJ Bleday with that money tied up.

Still, it seems unlikely to happen. The Reds know they’re searching for a needle in a haystack in terms of a lineup-altering bat that won’t break the bank or the farm, and they’ve probably resigned themselves to not finding it at this juncture. So, they’ve got their fallback plan in Lux, an imperfect fit who’s a bit overpaid but a guy who hopefully won’t be as valueless in 2026 if they can just keep him out of LF. It’s a decision that puts the onus on the rest of the roster to outperform, as their DH on most days won’t be the best bat in the order the way it has been traditionally (and is for most of their competition).

Such is life with the Reds. They aren’t going to be bad because they’ve got Gavin Lux on their team (or in their lineup), but you can only populate your finite roster with so many of those guys before you look up and wonder why you didn’t simply pool that money together to pay a really good player instead.

MLB Reacts is brought to you by FanDuel.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/trade-ideas/49395/gavin-lux-trade-rumors-cincinnati-reds-mlb-reacts

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Community Prospect Rankings: #1 prospect in the Cincinnati Reds system

Red Reporter’s annual crowdsourcing is here! The 2026 Community Prospect Rankings begin now!

Perhaps more than any year in recent memory, the top ranking down on the Cincinnati Reds farm isn’t completely obvious. The club has sported the likes of Chase Burns and Elly De La Cruz atop their minor league rankings over the last handful of years, the type of tantalizing prospects who’ve combined both elite talent and the numbers to match it as they rose to the top of the list. Elite tools that jump directly off the page, with Elly’s speed and power and Burns’ ability to absolutely destroy hitters with 100+ mph heat and an ankle-breaking slider.

The 2026 edition has several quite incredible prospects, to be sure, it’s just that their skills don’t wow you in an overtly athletic way like Elly and Chase. Speed and velocity are not the calling cards of Sal Stewart, of Rhett Lowder, or of Alfredo Duno. Still, that trio has the makings of a franchise catcher who hits for power, a guy who legitimately could hit .300 or flirt with a .400 OBP, and a rotation cog who may well lead the club in K/BB for years to come.

There are also some highly touted prospects still working their way back from injuries like Cam Collier and Edwin Arroyo, guys whose upside isn’t fully reflected in their work over the last year (or more). There’s also the tantalizing upside of youngsters Steele Hall and Tyson Lewis, who project well but simply haven’t had enough time to show it.

That’s what y’all are here for! It’s up to you, the Red Reporter community, to rank these prospects, and rank them we will begin to do just about every day for the next month as we barrel ever closer to spring training in Goodyear, Arizona.

Now, for the voting on the top prospect in the Cincinnati Reds system, with the the first wave of candidates listed in no particular order. We’ll add more names as the voting rolls on, and if there’s someone not listed you think is deserving let us know in the comments.

Steele Hall, SS (18 years old)​

2025 at a glance: Drafted 9th overall in the 1st round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds out of Hewitt-Trussville HS (AL); 2025 Mr. Baseball in the state of Alabama, once committed to powerhouse University of Tennessee before signing with the Reds for $5.75 million

Pros: Speed, and plenty of it; projectable power and potential five-tool player whose defense and arm look like they’ll play plenty well at short; just 17 years old when drafted after reclassifying a year early

Cons: It’s all still ‘projectable’ as, again, he just turned 18 after the draft and has zero professional PA to show for it

Hall reclassified to the class of 2025 despite originally being part of the class of 2026, and the Reds – who’d been scouting him already – thought he had the talent to eventually mature into a player who’d be in the mix for the #1 overall pick in 2026. So, when he was there at pick #9 in 2025, they jumped at the chance to sign him, knowing full well there was no rush for his development.

He’s drawn comparisons to the likes of Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson, which is pretty damn lofty. Despite not having played a pro game and still being just 18, he’s ranked 79th in MLB Pipeline’s list of the Top 100 overall prospects in the game. How quickly he can physically mature and adapt to breaking balls at the top levels remains to be seen, but the speed, glove, and arm all look like they’ll be big-league caliber in very short order.

Sal Stewart, 3B/1B/2B (22 years old)​

2025 at a glance: .255/.293/.545 (.839 OPS) in 58 PA with Cincinnati Reds; .309/.383/.525 (.907 OPS) with 20 HR in 494 PA split between AA Chattanooga (Southern League) and AAA Louisville (International League)

Pros: Elite strike zone recognition, 60 grade hit tool with plus in-game power; A-grade mustache and just lost 26 lbs with aims of being in The Best Shape of His Life™ by spring training

Cons: Still searching for his best defensive position

The Reds were in desperate need of thump down the stretch in 2025, and they called up young Sal at age 21 to provide it. Provide it he did, mashing a team-best 5 dingers in September/October and providing an instant spark.

He clubbed 20 homers in just 118 minor league games last year. He once walked more than he struck out during his time with Daytona in the Florida State League. He’s hit absolutely everywhere he’s been, and looked like he’ll continue to do that with the Reds, too.

The only question now is where he’ll play. The Reds went out and got batless Ke’Bryan Hayes and his Gold Glove to be their 3B for the present and future, and Spencer Steer – himself a Gold Glove finalist at 1B last season – looks settled at 1B. Dooming a newly-minted 22 year old to DH-only duties seems extreme, so the most likely scenario is that the Reds will try to slide Sal into the lineup defensively here, there, and everywhere, the hope being that uncertainty doesn’t impact his hitting ability.

Rhett Lowder, RHP (24 years old)​

2025 at a glance: 11 ER, 15 H, 13/3 K/BB in 9.1 IP split between ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League), A+ Dayton Dragons (Midwest League), and AAA Louisville Bats (International League); 5 ER, 9 H, 8/1 K/BB in 9.0 IP with Peoria Javelinas (Arizona Fall League)

Pros: Pounds the strike zone; mixes both a four-seam and two-seam fastball with an elite changeup that paints the edges of the zone while also working in a developing slider

Cons: Mostly lost 2025 season due to forearm and oblique strains

Lowder will turn 24 in March prior to the start of the 2026 season, and for his birthday we should all chip in and gift him some good health. He didn’t have that at all last year, the forearm issue derailing him before he could ever get started and the oblique strain derailing the already derailed derailment. He did finally make a return to the mound in AFL play in October, and pitched well enough to show he was healthy (and looked healthy enough for me to mostly ignore that small-sample of stats).

He has incredible command and feel on the mound, pounding both sides of the zone to both lefties and righties. He can run his fastball up to 97 mph, though velocity isn’t what makes his stuff work – it’s in the movement.

He’s one of Cincinnati’s five-best starting pitchers, with the only question being how aggressive the Reds will be with him early in 2026. They may ease him back at the AAA level with plans on him having plenty of innings in his arm in the season’s second half, meaning it could be even more time since we see him back in Cincinnati after his impressive cameo at the end of 2024.

Alfredo Duno, C (20 years old)​

2025 at a glance: .287/.430/.518 (.948 OPS) with 18 HR and 95/91 BB/K in 495 PA with Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League); .213/.356/.298 in 59 PA with Peoria Javelinas (Arizona Fall League)

Pros: Immense power, more walks than strikeouts, and developing into a good enough defensive catcher that he’ll be able to stick there long-term (with a big arm, to boot)

Cons: A few notable injuries have sidelined him so far; will he get too big to stay behind the plate?

Duno led all players in the Florida State League in homers (18). He led the entire league in walks (95), ranked 2nd in both OBP (.430) and SLG (.518), and led the whole league in OPS (.948). The only guy who really threatened his lead in rate stats was Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin, who MLB Pipeline now rates as the #1 prospect in all of baseball.

All that from a catcher with a plus arm and good enough defense to stick there. That’s pretty damn elite!

Duno is the catcher of the future for the Reds, and given their reluctance to extend Tyler Stephenson long-term it sure feels like that future is going to be present pretty dang soon. Very interested to see how aggressive they get with his promotions during the 2026 season, as he’ll likely start with A+ Dayton and move quickly if he’s doing what we all expect him to do.

Tyson Lewis, SS (20 years old)​

2025 at a glance: .340/.396/.532 (.928 OPS) in 207 PA with ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League); .268/.347/.417 (.765 OPS) in 144 PA with Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League)

Pros: Statcast darling with elite exit velocity and power with his left-handed swing; elite athleticism and plus speed gives him a chance to stick at SS long term, though a move off the position seems likely

Cons: Struck out at an alarming 35.4% rate with Daytona (and at an alarming 29.1% rate overall last year); .432 BABIP across all leagues last year screams ‘regression’

Tools. Tyson Lewis has just about every tool there is. He hit a ball over 119 mph in his pro debut, was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Nebraska prior to being a 2nd round pick (with an overslot bonus) by the Reds, and was originally committed to the University of Arkansas.

The upside here is obvious, as he’s got one of the loudest bats at any level. The swing and miss stuff, though, is something he’ll have to completely overhaul as he moves up the ladder, though getting out of the extremely pitcher-friendly confines of the FSL will perhaps help that some.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/community-prospect-ranking/49399/cincinnati-reds-top-prospect-rankings

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds solidify bullpen with signing of Pierce Johnson

The bullpen the Cincinnati Reds leaned on heavily during the 2025 season was obviously headed for a complete overhaul this winter. Nick Martinez, Emilio Pagan, Scott Barlow, and Brent Suter were all headed for free agency, while the likes of Ian Gibaut also ended up out of the organization after some administrative decisions.

Pagan re-signed, which helped. Keegan Thompson was brought in initially, though he was lost again in a waiver claim before ever throwing a pitch for the club. On top of that, Chase Burns – who pitched admirably as a reliever down the stretch – is slated for a spot in the team’s starting rotation, and their overall pitching depth was further tested by Zack Littel hitting free agency after being acquired at the July trade deadline.

As roles continue to be redefined, lefty Caleb Ferguson was brought in to stabilize what the team does not have from the left side after Taylor Rogers’ brief stint with the club and Suter’s departure into free agency. Brandon Williamson and Juilian Aguiar will presumably provide depth in some form or fashion either at the AAA level as starting depth or, perhaps, in long relief, and Rhett Lowder is healthy again to pick up the slack in the rotation as it comes.

Still, the team needed another righty workhorse, one in the mold of recent seasons from Barlow and Buck Farmer. On Sunday, they addressed that in a big way, as MLB Network insider Jon Heyman relayed that they’ve reached an agreement with free agent righty Pierce Johnson, who became a free agent at season’s end when the Atlanta Braves bought out his option.

Pierce Johnson to Reds. Nice pen pickup.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 11, 2026

The former 1st rounder is heading into his age 35 season, and he’s settled in as a reliable leverage reliever after a pro career that bounced him all over the big leagues (and even sent him to Japan for a time). Since being scooped up by the Braves midway through the 2023 season, he established himself as a legit bullpen cog, firing a 2.91 ERA and 3.61 FIP across 147 appearances (139.0 IP).

In 2025 in particular, he fired 59.0 IP of 3.05 ERA/3.91 FIP ball, leaning heavily on a curveball that he threw a whopping 72.1% of the time. He mixes in a four-seam fastball that averages between 95-96 mph as well as a cutter, on occasion, though it remains to be seen if Derek Johnson has something else up his sleeve for the Denver, Colorado born righty.

Johnson earned $7 million in each of the 2024 and 2025 seasons, though Atlanta did buy him out for $250K this offseason to avoid paying him $7 million again in 2026. It remains to be seen just how much the Reds will be on the hook for in this deal, though I’m sure we’ll hear more specifics about it soon. It’s going to be a deal that eats up a lot of the minuscule budget that the Reds had remaining to spend, to be certain, so how they’ll pivot trying to address the offense after this is a question for all parties involved.

Regardless, their pitching staff is much, much better after this signing. Welcome to the fold, Pierce.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/hotstov...-solidify-bullpen-piece-johnson-braves-rumors

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Community Prospect Rankings: #2 prospect in the Cincinnati Reds system

Sal Stewart was the runaway winner of voting for the #1 prospect in the Cincinnati Reds system in this year’s CPR. Now, we get to find out which future star of the Reds you think is deserving of the next spot on this list!

We are working with a new polling system this time around, and I’ll embed it at the bottom of the post for you to use to cast your votes. If for some reason that doesn’t make itself readily available, you can also find the voting option by clicking here.

To the voting we go!

Steele Hall, SS (18 years old)​

2025 at a glance: Drafted 9th overall in the 1st round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds out of Hewitt-Trussville HS (AL); 2025 Mr. Baseball in the state of Alabama, once committed to powerhouse University of Tennessee before signing with the Reds for $5.75 million

Pros: Speed, and plenty of it; projectable power and potential five-tool player whose defense and arm look like they’ll play plenty well at short; just 17 years old when drafted after reclassifying a year early

Cons: It’s all still ‘projectable’ as, again, he just turned 18 after the draft and has zero professional PA to show for it

Hall reclassified to the class of 2025 despite originally being part of the class of 2026, and the Reds – who’d been scouting him already – thought he had the talent to eventually mature into a player who’d be in the mix for the #1 overall pick in 2026. So, when he was there at pick #9 in 2025, they jumped at the chance to sign him, knowing full well there was no rush for his development.

He’s drawn comparisons to the likes of Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson, which is pretty damn lofty. Despite not having played a pro game and still being just 18, he’s ranked 79th in MLB Pipeline’s list of the Top 100 overall prospects in the game. How quickly he can physically mature and adapt to breaking balls at the top levels remains to be seen, but the speed, glove, and arm all look like they’ll be big-league caliber in very short order.

Rhett Lowder, RHP (24 years old)​

2025 at a glance: 11 ER, 15 H, 13/3 K/BB in 9.1 IP split between ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League), A+ Dayton Dragons (Midwest League), and AAA Louisville Bats (International League); 5 ER, 9 H, 8/1 K/BB in 9.0 IP with Peoria Javelinas (Arizona Fall League)

Pros: Pounds the strike zone; mixes both a four-seam and two-seam fastball with an elite changeup that paints the edges of the zone while also working in a developing slider

Cons: Mostly lost 2025 season due to forearm and oblique strains

Lowder will turn 24 in March prior to the start of the 2026 season, and for his birthday we should all chip in and gift him some good health. He didn’t have that at all last year, the forearm issue derailing him before he could ever get started and the oblique strain derailing the already derailed derailment. He did finally make a return to the mound in AFL play in October, and pitched well enough to show he was healthy (and looked healthy enough for me to mostly ignore that small-sample of stats).

He has incredible command and feel on the mound, pounding both sides of the zone to both lefties and righties. He can run his fastball up to 97 mph, though velocity isn’t what makes his stuff work – it’s in the movement.

He’s one of Cincinnati’s five-best starting pitchers, with the only question being how aggressive the Reds will be with him early in 2026. They may ease him back at the AAA level with plans on him having plenty of innings in his arm in the season’s second half, meaning it could be even more time since we see him back in Cincinnati after his impressive cameo at the end of 2024.

Alfredo Duno, C (20 years old)​

2025 at a glance: .287/.430/.518 (.948 OPS) with 18 HR and 95/91 BB/K in 495 PA with Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League); .213/.356/.298 in 59 PA with Peoria Javelinas (Arizona Fall League)

Pros: Immense power, more walks than strikeouts, and developing into a good enough defensive catcher that he’ll be able to stick there long-term (with a big arm, to boot)

Cons: A few notable injuries have sidelined him so far; will he get too big to stay behind the plate?

Duno led all players in the Florida State League in homers (18). He led the entire league in walks (95), ranked 2nd in both OBP (.430) and SLG (.518), and led the whole league in OPS (.948). The only guy who really threatened his lead in rate stats was Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin, who MLB Pipeline now rates as the #1 prospect in all of baseball.

All that from a catcher with a plus arm and good enough defense to stick there. That’s pretty damn elite!

Duno is the catcher of the future for the Reds, and given their reluctance to extend Tyler Stephenson long-term it sure feels like that future is going to be present pretty dang soon. Very interested to see how aggressive they get with his promotions during the 2026 season, as he’ll likely start with A+ Dayton and move quickly if he’s doing what we all expect him to do.

Tyson Lewis, SS (20 years old)​

2025 at a glance: .340/.396/.532 (.928 OPS) in 207 PA with ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League); .268/.347/.417 (.765 OPS) in 144 PA with Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League)

Pros: Statcast darling with elite exit velocity and power with his left-handed swing; elite athleticism and plus speed gives him a chance to stick at SS long term, though a move off the position seems likely

Cons: Struck out at an alarming 35.4% rate with Daytona (and at an alarming 29.1% rate overall last year); .432 BABIP across all leagues last year screams ‘regression’

Tools. Tyson Lewis has just about every tool there is. He hit a ball over 119 mph in his pro debut, was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Nebraska prior to being a 2nd round pick (with an overslot bonus) by the Reds, and was originally committed to the University of Arkansas.

The upside here is obvious, as he’s got one of the loudest bats at any level. The swing and miss stuff, though, is something he’ll have to completely overhaul as he moves up the ladder, though getting out of the extremely pitcher-friendly confines of the FSL will perhaps help that some.

Cam Collier, 3B/1B (21 years old)​

2025 at a glance: .279/.391/.384 with 4 HR, 21 2B in 396 PA split between ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League), A+ Dayton Dragons (Midwest League), and AA Chattanooga Lookouts (Southern League); .221/.368/.325 with 1 HR in 95 PA with Peoria Javelinas (Arizona Fall League)

Pros: Plus hit tool and his plate discipline is rapidly moving into plus category as well; plenty of power that we’re still hoping can return in-game after his thumb injury

Cons: Defense leaves a lot to be desired, and he’s likely already a 1B-only at this point

Collier busted his thumb in spring training in 2025, and the break (and recovery) caused him to miss the first two months of the season. A rehab stint came in Arizona next, and he eventually worked his way all the way up to AA Chattanooga…albeit with a shocking lack of power from the guy who swatted 20 homers for A+ Dayton in 2024, a mark that tied him for the Midwest League lead.

What Collier did do in 2025, though, is begin to show some pretty elite OBP skills, and if he can maintain that and get the power back a year removed from the broken thumb, well, the Reds have the guy they gave an overslot bonus to in the 1st round back in 2022 who repeatedly made Top 100 overall prospect lists in his first years as a pro. And even if that all only comes as a 1B who’s not the world’s greatest defender that’s an incredibly valuable thing, especially with the dearth of offense the franchise owns right now.

Chase Petty, RHP (23 years old)​

2025 at a glance: 6.39 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 102/58 K/BB in 112.2 IP with AAA Louisville Bats; 13 ER in 6.0 IP with Cincinnati Reds

Pros: Three plus pitches, including a fastball that flirts with 100 mph and 60-grade slider and cutter

Cons: Lit up in first cups of MLB coffee, and struggled in AAA after being sent back down

Petty has long been on the radar of every scout in the game, a former 1st round pick of the Minnesota Twins out of high school (whom the Reds had eyes on drafting back then, too). He was the centerpiece of the deal that sent Sonny Gray the other way, and he’s pitched his way onto multiple Top 100 overall prospect lists since.

Of course, he’s also pitched his way back off those same lists, with much of his work in 2025 doing just that. He was shelled at the big league level, though that’s with the caveat that he’d just turned 22 years old when that went down. The stuff’s still there, he’s just struggled to blend it all together for long enough stretches to show he can be an effective big league starter. The hope is that the lumps he took in 2025 paired with a mostly healthy offseason for the first time in a while will send him into 2026 both ready and with something to prove.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/communi...422/cincinnati-reds-prospect-rankings-top-100