The Reds made a pair of depth additions to the outfield last week. They brought in glove-first center fielder Dane Myers in a small trade with Miami while signing JJ Bleday to a $1.4MM reclamation deal. Neither player should be locked into everyday roles, but they’ll each compete for playing time alongside TJ Friedl and Noelvi Marte. Both acquisitions have a minor league option remaining and can be sent to Triple-A Louisville without going on waivers.
Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic write that the Reds are open to acquiring another outfielder, which they suggest is likelier to come via trade than free agency. Their left field mix is likely to feature Bleday, Gavin Lux and Will Benson — each of whom hit from the left side. Friedl is also a left-handed hitter, leaving Marte and Myers as their top right-handed options. Marte is going to be the everyday right fielder. Myers has good career numbers against left-handed pitching (.297/.360/.456) but has been almost unplayable against righties.
The Reds have some flexibility in their positional alignment. They limited Spencer Steer mostly to first base this year after he suffered a shoulder injury in Spring Training. If they feel better about testing his arm after a healthy offseason, he could pick up a few more starts in left field. Playing Steer in the outfield against left-handed pitching would free more first base at-bats for Sal Stewart, who is coming off a .309/.383/.524 showing in Triple-A. Stewart reached the big leagues late in the season and connected on five home runs in 18 games. He’s one of the organization’s most exciting offensive players, though it remains to be seen if he can handle more than spot starts at a position other than first base or designated hitter.
Acquiring a center fielder could also push Friedl into a full-time left field role. That’s easier said than done given the limited supply of center fielders on the trade market. Houston dangled Jake Meyers for starting pitching before trading Jacob Melton as part of a package to acquire Mike Burrows from Pittsburgh. The White Sox have discussed Luis Robert Jr. with the Reds, among other clubs, but his $20MM salary is a significant obstacle. Even if Chicago might be willing to pay down a portion of the contract, that’d increase their prospect demand for their talented but inconsistent center fielder.
Sammon and Woo report that the Reds have not considered trading Friedl. He’s under arbitration control for three seasons and led the team with a .364 on-base percentage (min. 200 plate appearances). Friedl was at the top of Terry Francona’s batting order for the entire year. He has serviceable range in center field but a below-average arm that would make him a better fit in left if the Reds were able to land a clear upgrade in center.
Cincinnati’s payroll projection sits around $111MM, as estimated by RosterResource. The Reds opened the 2025 season at just under $116MM. President of baseball operations Nick Krall said at the beginning of the offseason that he anticipated a similar number next year.