The Cincinnati Reds are calling up Sal Stewart according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. Earlier on Sunday the team saw Connor Joe designated for assignment and clear waivers, then outrighted him to Triple-A. That move cleared a spot on the 40-man roster. Stewart, one of the Reds top prospects, is not on the 40-man roster and will needed to be added before he can be called up.
For Stewart, he had stated in spring training that his goal in 2025 was to reach the big leagues. Having never played above A-ball, that was a lofty goal, but he went to Double-A and was leading the league in average and was in the top 10 of every statistical category an offensive player can be in except for stolen bases after 80 games when he was promoted to Triple-A.
Stewart has hit better since arriving in Louisville than he had hit in Chattanooga with the Lookouts. In the 38 games since his promotion he’s hit .315/.394/.629. Overall on the year he has now racked up 34 doubles and 20 home runs in his 118 games played between the two levels.
This season he has played mostly third base, but has had some time at second base and even less over at first. Stewart tends to be sure-handed and makes accurate throws. But he does not have much range in the field and is not likely suited to play second base in the big leagues. At third base his limited range is something you can get away with a bit more. With just two starts at first base in his entire career, that’s probably not a spot you’d play him right now, either.
Of course even if there’s not a position for him to play in the field right away, the National League now has the designated hitter spot, so there’s a way for him to get into the lineup.
The big question is why the club took so long to make this move? They have struggled all month long to score runs. And with Stewart hitting the cover off of the ball, making tons of contact, using the entire field, hitting 430+ foot home runs, they just kept him in Triple-A while half of the lineup wasn’t hitting their body weight and struggled to slug the body weight of an average NFL offensive lineman.
Instead the team waited until September when the rosters expanded, after going 2-8 and falling to the .500 mark before winning on Sunday, to call up the hottest (and arguably most talented) hitter they’ve got in the minor leagues. And unless the team adds him to the roster before midnight, if they somehow pull off a miracle and make the playoffs, he won’t even be eligible unless someone else gets hurt and he can take their spot.
You can see the career stats for Sal Stewart here.
“The big question is why the club took so long to make this move? ”
Yep…That IS the question. Hope he plays a lot now somewhere. At this point I don’t care where. I hope he picks up where he left off in AAA.
No offense but we’re about to find out.
Jumping from A to MLB in one season as a hitter is a gigantic jump. It could be that the Reds are worried about his ability to deal with MLB level breaking balls, which he will have never seen before.
I’m glad he made it and I’m excited. But we’ve all put a lot of hopes on a young man that’s made huge leaps this year. And, as Reds fans, we really can be horrible to young players who don’t live up to our expectations of immediate perfection.
I hope this turns out to a good decision for both Sal and the Reds.
Here’s to hoping the Reds best hitter is in the lineup 2 day. #38 Andujar. OPS of over a thousand with the Reds.
Good perspective, Tom. We should reflect on our collective outrage in 2023(?) when CES, after a good spring training, was sent back to the minors because he still had things to work on. It turns out that he did.
CES is a great example of both the risk and how Reds can can treat a struggling young player.
“And unless the team adds him to the roster before midnight, if they somehow pull off a miracle and make the playoffs, he won’t even be eligible unless someone else gets hurt and he can take their spot.”
Why they wouldn’t want to at least have him eligible for the post season I have know idea. I would think that would be a no brainer but……….
Well Doug doesn’t like name calling and I agree. However I can think of a word that starts with I….
I think, Nick, may not be the smartest GM in MLB.
@Jim Walker has explained how Stewart can be eligible by replacing Callihan. Rule explanation is at the following link:
https://www.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/postseason-roster-rules-eligibility
I suspect that if (a.) the Reds are in position to make the playoffs and (b.) Stewart is hitting, the (c.) somebody will come down with a sore hammy.
I know but why even take that chance?
it was not supposed to be a serious comment.
Went right over my head. 🙂
You can’t make up injuries, Charlie Finley tried that 50+ years ago to add Manny Trillo to the roster. Google it if you don’t remember.
I remember that…was Dick Green the player Finley wanted to release because he made an error in the Word Series? 1973 or 1974?
I agree making up an injury would mean a traitor or team physician would have to falsify records.
That should read “faking an injury would require a trainer or team physician to falsify records”.
Which most would be u willing to do because it would cost them their license.
Callahan is on the 60 day IL and has done more than 60 days. That spot should be available.
Good article by the way Doug. 🙂
Trying to figure out how the roster roulette could work to get Stewart active before midnight, I came up with this. They option a pitcher (post game as they call it), then make the Stewart call-up official before midnight. That would leave 26 active with 14 position players and 12 pitchers, which is OK because 13 is the max number of pitchers before Sept 1, not a required number.
Subsequently, after midnight, they call up two pitchers, which would put the roster at 14/14, the legal maxes for September.
Or instead of doing crazy Reds things, they could just IL or option someone on the position side and call up Stewart, both before midnight.
Andujar wasn’t in the lineup today and wasn’t running well last night. It may be dangerous for him to keep trying without rest. Hate to lose his bat though. Maybe Benson has a sudden ailment?
I will be relieved by whatever they do as long as it doesn’t burn an MLB roster spot, “exploring” whether Stephenson can hit regardless of whether he can catch. The Bats play through Sept 21; and, MiLB rehab exists for such “exploration.”
I truly believe that this FO/O does not want this team to make the playoffs.
Don’t be ridiculous
I think you’re matching your screen name, buddy.
Please explain why the delay in calling up Sal.
Richard, I will strive to not be ridiculous if you turn down the condescension toward folks on this forum. Lately you have taken it upon yourself to be some sort of pedantic arbiter of how folks should be thinking.
Pardon the interruption, but claiming a team doesn’t want to make the playoffs is based on some fact-free observations that will justifiably lead to condescending replies. It also suggests strongly that you have never played competitive sports, even at the beer-league level.
Krall too late again.
I would not want to be Krall right now especially if Stewart does indeed hit and the Reds come up short for the post season.
Ironically as Doug mentioned if the Reds make the playoffs and Stewart gets hot helping them… then isn’t eligible for playoff roster… ouch!!!!
What will the Brass that is GM say to that!!
Again, Someone goes on the IL, A hamestring, or something.
Not hard to fake.
But, probably not going to happen.
Certainly, there’s no guarantee that Stewart can hit in Cincinnati. Regardless, the Reds should have been finding that out sooner. This is on Krall.
Waiting this long to call him up also builds undue expectations, adds pressure to his MLB debut and provokes even more cynicism.
The fact that they have to shuffle so many cards to bring him up, and there’s no place to play him suggests there really isn’t much of a strategic plan in place for integrating the Reds’ bevy of prospects into the team.
Yeah, as Doug wrote about several days ago, it seems like everything is always more complicated for the Reds than it should be.
Exactly ! It’s on Krall ALL DAY LONG !!!
We don’t know what has gone into the decision to not bring him up. Could be that Tito didn’t want to put him in the lineup at this point in the season. Or maybe the AAA hitting coach and the scouts were adamant that he wasn’t ready for MLB breaking stuff. Or it might have been entirely Krall’s decision, but we don’t know.
Benson can be sent down and Stewart replace him. Seems simple enough although I would also send down Moll and add Rodriguez and then add Mey and San Martin as the two pitchers.
No one else is missing for the Bats tonight that I know of at least position players.
Mey has sucked more often than not. Sanmartin wasn’t great in MLB previously.
Mey has made it to the big leagues how many games have you pitched in the bigs?
Ok, finally Stewart will be playing with the Reds so the only thing to do is expect for him translating his skills and numbers to the big leagues…Why they didn’t call him before? That is known by Krall and we can’t do nothing to change the past.
I wonder if he will in the lineup only vs lefties or they are thinking to try him everyday and I guess he is going to hit in the bottom of the order knowing Tito’s style…
Who would the other player be to complete the expanded roster? Maxwell?
It IrRitAtEs mE tHaT TheY fEel STewArt brinGs mORe tO thE TEam tHan ConnOR JoE. 🙂
😀
Connor Joe has 6 years of MLB experience. How many do you have?
Don’t you have some useless info to post from the 70s that pertains to nothing?
Re: “Connor Joe has 6 years of MLB experience. ”
Yeah, why would any team put a player who can play 3 positions, is just a tic below a league average player lifetime, has a plus career OBP of .333, and hits LHs at a .745 OPS for his career on their bench. Joe got a bum rap around here from the SSSD crowd.
Don’t believe Oldtimer was advocating to bring up Joe but saying people shouldn’t mock a guys talent who is good enough to have 6 years MLB experience and what he didn’t say a former first round draft pick.
I hope they don’t even put the pressure of defense on him. He doesn’t need to learn at 1B or 2B this season. Play him at DH everyday and just let him hit. Lux and Andujar can platoon at 1B, 2B and LF.
If Stewart rakes at DH, there’s no need to find ABs for Andujar.
“The big question is why the club took so long to make this move?”
Yup.
Oops. I see that Melvin beat me to the punch on this one long ago.
Virtually everyone is thinking the same thing buddy. 🙂
Steer’s timing is a little off. Pulling everything foul. You cant sit McClain now and Ke Bryan Hays is hitting the ball well so Steer seems the odd man out to get Stewart some playing time.
Charlie Goldsmith on the Power Stacks podcast talking about Sal Stewart. – He said it’s been on his mind for weeks saying to himself, “I want to help. Get me up there”!
Evidently it’s been on his mind since the beginning of the year to make it to the majors this year and play in meaningful games. Considering where he started in February that was a lofty goal. Everything points to Stewart being a big time competitor.
Well Sal. It took longer than it should have though no fault of your own but your’re here. Please show us what you can do big guy. We need ya. 🙂
Blake Dunn deserves a call up, given his month of August, but I guess there’s no room.
Well Stewart takes the extra spot so Benson may be in trouble when it comes to a 26 man spot.
Benson has had some good spurts this year but for the most part not awesome.
.217/.268/.670
Dunn has been hitting well for quite awhile now. I almost left him for dead earlier in the year after his demotion from the Reds. He was pretty bad. He hasn’t hit for much power in terms of HR with only three but other than that he’s been very good.
https://www.milb.com/player/blake-dunn-694362
I agree Dunn has been cooking. However so has CES. CES has a slightly higher OPS in August based on a much higher slugging percentage. On the other hand, Dunn has a much higher OBP.
Both are worthy. Dunn would give them a guy who could fill at all three OF spots. CES would better serve the slugging shortage, but might be harder to fit into the alignment, especially if Stewart is the everyday DH.
Let’s hope at least one of them gets a shot.
The biggest thing, even with Stewart, is the Reds have to own up that the job has not been getting done and they need real change. People already there will have to sit to get plate appearances for the newcomer(s).
Not only August but July. He has been hot for 2 months.
I wonder what the plan is for Stewart? It’d be a little surprising if they brought him up just to start once or twice a week whether at DH or some other position.
Boy he’s still only 21 years old, young guy. I agree with bringing him up overall, but it seems they should have brought him up a little earlier. You kind of wish he came up in a little better circumstance overall.
I really think there is a 3 man race for long term first base duties between Steer Stewart and CES. Steer has had some moments this year but has not quite totally earned his spot yet.
Well Cam Collier has been playing first and DH’ing. So you can probably add him to the mix in about a year – if he continues to make progress. His advantage is that he hits left handed. So maybe you can envision a tag team 1b/dh combo of Stewart and Collier in the next year – year and a half. With Hayes and 3rd and Steer currently at first , not sure if CES has a future with the Reds. Maybe if his power returns and are convinced his back issues are behind him, you move Steer off of first as a utility infielder/outfielder. Interesting off season ahead
Predict Krall will drop the ball by not adding this guy to the 40 man by midnight tonight … if this guy helps this team get to the playoffs and he can’t play because of this , Krall needs to be fired before the playoffs even begin …. I think he should have been gone already , but Castellini won’t get rid of him for anything – zero accountability
If Stewart was added before midnight it’s not showing up on the Reds website under transactions.
Chatterbox Reds are saying that Stewart is already added to the 40 man roster even though it doesn’t show up on MLB transactions. That’s the reason for DFA Joe today so that Stewart would be available post season. I don’t know it that’s true. We’ll see.
I’m trying to research the eligibility criteria and getting mixed results.
The long-time traditional rule was that a player had to be on the active MLB roster or MLB level IL by 1159pm on August 31 to be automatically eligible for the post season with the provision that guys on the MLB IL at the end of the season could be subbed out and replaced by any player in the organization at 1159pm Aug 31 if they had served the minimum time for the IL they were on (10 day for 10 day IL etc).
What I am finding now are several sources saying that any player on the 40 man roster or 60 day MLB IL as of 1159pm Aug 31 is “automatically” eligible for inclusion for a postseason roster, and beyond that, any player in the organization before Sept 1 can be subbed for a player on any MLB IL if the player on the IL has served the minimum number of days on the designated IL.
So yes, we shall see.
Ok, Jim, i suspect you saw this on the MLTR chat last night (and possibly even asked the question):
“will Sal Stewart be available for the postseason if the reds get their act together and make it?”
“Yep. The August 31 rule only applies to players coming into the organization. Teams can and have called up prospects well after September 1 who have gone to play big roles in the playoffs.”
Does anybody really know what time it is?
I’m confused but if that’s true I’m happy. 🙂
Melvin, may we be departing from, and not just now entering, The Twilght Zone.
Hope so Melvin !
Too little, too late.
“Too little, too late.” Yes, and that was true at the deadline. The time to build a winning team isn’t midseason, or in September, it’s the offseason.
We keep dreaming that our team is going to be good enough to limp into a wildcard spot, so why not trade away everyone we have to get that playoff game.
This team needs to sign and trade this offseason. However, it will likely be the same old story, no major improvements, just band aids.
As we fans know, the transition from the high minors to the Bigs is rarely smooth. Let’s not put too much pressure on Sal to offensively get the Reds to the playoffs at this late date. The way this has been handled should be dealt with by ownership in the offseason.
For me I must keep things simple.If you aren’t going to spend the money tehn you must build from within.Once players prove they are ready in the minors you play them at the big league level.You must give them time to prove they belong such as Jordan Walker with the Cards who has close to 900 at bats in the big leagues.Yes he has been up and down some but at 23 they have not given up on him.Stewart is 21 years old and the Reds must give him a chance but I doubt if that happens this year.They may give him a few at bats here and there but to be honest when Hayes was signed his way to the majors was blocked and if the Reds were serious about Stewart then they would have moved him to another position.IMO playing him at DH is a way to get him some at bats but thats all it is nothing more.Now the Reds have done stranger things like moving Marte to right field and living with it because of his bat so they could do it again with Stewart.Personally and I love Hayes at third but I would have brought Stewart up to play third and moved Marte to right to get both bats in the lineup.I would have lived with both defensively cause playing GM is fun and like Krall my job is safe regardless.
I agree with your point, but I read an article, the other day, that said the Cardinals are likely to move on Jordan Walker, among others, this winter. Sounds like they will tear everything down and are bracing their fans for a full rebuild.
I hope Stewart does much better than all the other Triple A batters we brought up who were the “next best thing” and then they ran into major league pitching. Hope springs eternal. It’s rare for a batter with his young age and short experience to bust out.
Miguel Andujar hit .369 for the month of August with a .431obp and a ops of 1.031. (And he didn’t cost us 3 of our top ten prospects).
Those are some pretty big numbers to match for a guy who has never had an MLB at bat. When you play Stewart,DH is where he is going to play, which means hays or Andujar sit.
Stewart is adequate at best at 3rd. Zero range which becomes really important when you are the only fielder on the left side of the diamond half the time. And he is not going to supplant Hayes anyway. He would be behind McLain, Espinal, Lux and even Steer at 2nd defensively. He is not a major league second basemen. Putting a guy who has literally played a handful of games at first to handle EDLC’s throws and with Stewart’s limited range, just makes an already weak defense weaker. Poor defense has cost us 3-5 wins this month alone.
So, we sit Andujar to play Stewart, or we hope Stewarts offensive output overcomes his defense at first or second? And please, don’t tell me anybody with a pulse can play first. This is simply not true. If you have ever played first at an advanced level, it’s a lot more involved then putting on a first basemens mitt and catching perfect throws from infielders.
At least if he is Edwin Encarnacion version 2.0, we can DH him for the next 5 years starting next year until he goes free agent.
I want to see Stewart up too. But his bat does involve trade offs.
Stewart is playing 1B in the new lineup. We are sitting Scott Steer who is second best on the team for home runs and RBI’s! Steer has to be hot.
McLain is the obvious player to replace to improve the weak hitting. Steer is in the next group of players who slumped in August. I am not sure that McLain’s defense warrants his continued lineup spot.
It is kind of funny though that the Reds waited until McLain homered two days in a row before bringing up Stewart. lol
Very hard to see how subbing Stewart for Steer (and Andujar indirectly) adds to the offense. And do we really believe McLain is back to his 2023 form after homering twice?
Now if they had Lux at 2B, Hays in LF, Andujar at DH, and Stewart at 1B, we might start hitting like a playoff team.
BK, this (playing Sal at 1B after two games experience) is Francona supervising Krall. He’s done it all year. With Wynne’s as 3rd catcher. With Hampson. Lately with Benson.
BK – Not complaining. Just funny.
Steer has been outstanding defensively at 1st. base. That position is often considered an easy position which it is not. It takes a lot of footwork and the ability to move and field the position. It’s a crowded roster but Stewart should be at DH.
Having Stewart play 1st, where he has all of 2 pro games played, as we go into must-win baseball, and we’re playing the #1 team in the AL East, is just the latest head scratcher in a season of head scratching moves.
With Andujar being the hottest bat on the team, uou could make the case for Stewart at DH for his first game, Andujar in left and Hays on the bench. Or if Andujar is really hurting, which some of said based on his lack of speed on the bases, then Hays is in left and Andujar is first off the bench. But putting him at 1st, NOW?! Just like having Marte start in CF against the Dodgers, and that arguably cost us that game.
Is this Tito or Krall? Good luck to our man Sal, but this is maddening, I tell you, maddening.
Exactly. Marte misses a fly ball and contributed heavily to a loss. EDLC makes throwing error and we lose on extras and that was in the last week! Lux can’t throw from Left Field, and on and on. We don’t score enough runs to give away baseball games, even if Stewart carries a big stick to MLB. You don’t think Stewart’s playing an unfamiliar position will impact his stick? Or cause him to press if he makes an error and it translates to runs?
Frankly, I think Tito is making a point here. I’ll play him, but I can’t hide him the way our roster is currently constructed.
Just said above, Francona is supervising Krall.
And I am beginning to think the Krall Watch has officially begun.
Its just what the Reds do.We know what Krall said when he acquired Hayes cause he had to say something.We know moving Marte to the outfield in the middle of a post season run was and is risky and anytime Lux is in the outfield its not a good thing.Krall sets the roster and Tito does what he can do with it.It is maddening because they blocked Stewart with Hayes and the rest is what do we do now.Today is just the latest in a series of as you say head scratching moves.I believe every player and every coach want to win but Krall makes it so hard for them to do so.If their are or is other people involved in the decision making process that’s taken place since the trade deadline then they simply have to be YES MEN.Nobody would go through all of this claiming defense as a reason to acquiring Hays and end up as we look today on defense.Again you just can’t make this kind of stuff up.
Elly to Stewart spells trouble defensively. Hopefully Stewart can provide the offense RLN has been raving about. Slotting him between Lux and Hayes is good. Bring Steer and Andujar off the bench for L/R match up is good too, strong bench. Let’s go Reds.
I didn’t even think of that. Do you remember Elly’s throw last year that was so hard it couldn’t accurately be measured and got on Candelario so fast he couldn’t get his glove up? Went right through the webbing.
At least Sal is a big target. Elly’s throwing errors will surely depart the world as we know it now.
“Welcome to the bigs, kid! Did ya bring your first baseman’s glove? Oh, CES loaned you his? Well, that’ll work. I guess. Maybe Spence has an extra …”
It’s a good thing our pitcher today is not an intense guy or anything.
The moment Sal found out he was called up is on fb, cincinnati reds social media page. Priceless….
Awesome. Kelly always does stuff like this.
Bringing Stewert up and putting him at 1st is EXACTLY what they should do. That is his future, so get on with it. Steer does not have the bat to play 1st on a good team, and he is very expendable. No personal attack, just fact. And Friedl would only play left on a good team. Serviceable in center, but I always thought we wanted to be really good. Wouldn’t break my heart to see Elly in center.
Steer has no bat you say, yet he is second best on the team with home runs and RBIs. That’s kind of some power there.
20th out of 25 in MLB 1st baseman hitting. Terrible for the position
Steer hitting .236, exactly the same as last year. Not exactly scary for opposing pitchers.
I don’t get the recall of Zulueta. Im sure he is just holding the roster spot for a returning Stephenson, but it would seem there were better choices. Benschoter, La Sorsa or Mey were probably all better choices.
Mey has shown time and again he doesn’t have the control to consistently pitch in the Majors right now.