Free agency doesn’t officially begin until the day after the World Series ends. Even then, it’s not exactly real free agency as teams have five days from that point to be the exclusive negotiators with players who are now free agents who were also on their team this past season. After those five days are up if players have not agreed to a new contract then they can become true free agents and negotiate with all teams unless they are extended a qualifying offer during that. I don’t remember the last time a player agreed to a new deal before testing the true free agent waters within that 5-day “exclusive negotiating” period of time.
The Cincinnati Reds have a handful of players who are set to become free agents in the next two weeks. Today we are going to start a series to look at these players and discuss whether it makes sense for the club to try and bring them back. Our first piece is going to look out Miguel Andujar.
His time in Cincinnati was short. Cincinnati traded for him at the trade deadline, acquiring him from the Atheltics in a deal that saw the Reds send prospect Kenya Huggins the other way in the swap.
In his time in the American League this season Andujar was having far and away his best season since he was a rookie with the New York Yankees back in 2018. The outfielder was hitting .298/.329/.436 – good for an OPS+ of 111 (which essentially means after adjusting for the ballparks he played in he had an OPS that was 11% better than the league average).
After he joined the Reds he essentially served as the team’s designated hitter. Part of that was due to his limited defensive abilities, but part of it was also due to the fact that he was dealing with quad injury for much of time with Cincinnati. He was healthy enough to hit but they weren’t going to ask him to run much in order to protect the injury and keep his bat available. Still, that limited him to 34 games between August and September.
When he was on the field, though, he hit very well. With Cincinnati he hit .359/.400/.544 with a 153 OPS+. He was the team’s best hitter during that time, but he only played about 60% of the time due to his injury and the Reds going with a bit of a mix-and-match situation with what is probably half of their positions that included the designated hitter.
You can see the career stats for Miguel Andujar here.
The Qualifying Offer
This year the qualifying offer in Major League Baseball is $22,025,000 for a 1-year contract.
Cincinnati made such an offer (at slightly lesser money) last offseason to Nick Martinez and he accepted it. He was the only player offered one who accepted it in Major League Baseball.
Miguel Andujar, like Nick Martinez, is not eligible for the qualifying offer. A team can’t offer it to a player who got one previously in their career (Martinez). They also can’t offer it to a player acquired via a trade during the most recent season.
Should the Reds bring him back?
Just because the team can’t make Miguel Andujar the qualifying offer doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t look at bringing him back.
When the 2026 season begins, Andujar is going to be 31-years-old. He’s never been a free agent before. And he’s coming off of his best season since he was a rookie. For him this is likely going to be the only time he’s going to get a multi-year deal with at least a solid amount of money. He’s only made about $9,000,000 in his career to this point, so expect him and his agent to be looking to shop around and see what they can get.
For Cincinnati the question is not just one question, it’s multi-layered. Andujar can play left field, though he can’t play it well. And he can play first and third base, too. He’s not exactly good at any of the infield spots, either. The National League also has the designated hitter spot available today and that adds a little something to the math here.
Cincinnati traded to Ke’Bryan Hayes at the trade deadline and he’s under control for several more years. He’s an elite defender at third base. The Reds probably aren’t going to bring Andujar back to play there. At first base Cincinnati played Spencer Steer there a lot in 2025, but some of that was due to his shoulder injury that made it so he couldn’t play left field much of the year. But late in the season Cincinnati called up Sal Stewart and he spent time at both first base and designated hitter. One of the team’s top prospects who raked in the minors and hit well in the big leagues, he’s probably going to return to play similarly in 2026 and that makes it tougher to put Andujar in a similar role, especially if the team plans to keep Steer in rotation at first base at times instead of playing him in left field where he’s been a well below-average fielder in his career.
It’s likely going to take a multi-year deal to get Miguel Andujar to sign. And it probably should. He’s been a quality big league hitter for the last few years and had a strong showing in 2025 at the plate. The Reds, whether anyone likes it or not, are working with limited funds from the ownership group. And the positions that Andujar plays are ones that Cincinnati can fill internally with other players.
The upside for Andujar – at least one that’s realistic – just isn’t all that big. Sure, if he could find a way to hit .359 and slug .544 for the duration of his deal write him a big, fat check. But that’s not a realistic expectation. At his age and given his past performance, the expectation should be that of a guy who slightly declines each year moving forward. He’s been a good, but not very good hitter the last few years. And given his defensive limitations, he has to hit well to have value.
Cincinnati could certainly use him in 2026 and probably a few years after that, too. But given how he would (or wouldn’t) fit into the roster construction and how much he’s likely to earn on the market for his services, it’s tough to make a good selling point that it makes sense to bring him back.
1B/DH is one of the few positions where you can buy offense at a relative discount. You see the Brewers do it year after year with success. I’d kick the tires on a 2 year deal with an option. He gives a professional at-bat and would be part of a formidable 1b/DH tandem with Sal Stewart. Enough mixing and matching at DH–it hasn’t worked. Steer doesn’t factor into the 1B or LF equation if you’re serious about improving the offense–he’s a utility player on a good team.
I agree they should at the least make a 2-year offer and see if he is willing to bite.
After having the highest attendance since 2015 this season. The Reds need to raise overall team payroll to close to 140 million at least. If they don’t make an effort to improve the team by actually signing a power hitter or trading for one. I am done with this team forever. I get they are a lower-level ownership group compared to several other teams, but I am done playing games. Baseball makes a crap load of money every year and every year salaries go up a lot. I’m not talking minimum salaries here. The end of spring training 2026 is the deadline for me.
As many of you know I am a Blue Jays fan as well. At least they attempt to compete and yes, they are the only team in Canada currently there is probably a market size and share difference. I’m just so tired of excuses from this front office.
Even the Royals spent 130 million+ this past year at the start of the season.
I’m tired of the excuses too, but it’s important to remember the problem isn’t that baseball is making a crapload of money; the problem is the crappy way they distribute the money in a way that favors some teams’ chances of winning championships over others. Good luck to your Bluejays! MLB has until the next CBA to fix this, or I’m done. I’m not picking another team and helping MLB perpetuate the farce of a league they have become if they don’t fix their problem.
@BK
Sounds like we are both in a similar place. If baseball doesn’t address competitive balance in a meaningful way in the next collective bargaining agreement I will be tuning out.
It doesn’t help with the Dodgers crowing about ruining baseball. I will just find something better to do with my time. I love baseball history (well, really any type of history). I will just spend my time reading about the past.
I supported the player’s association over owners for years, but now it’s choosing between billionaires and multi-millionaires. I can’t relate to either side anymore.
@V4L, I may come across as anti-union; I’m not. I grew up in a union home and have close family represented by unions that do them a lot of good. MLBPA is a strong union, but not a good one.
Compared to NBA and NFL players, whose salaries are directly tied to league revenue growth, the MLBPA has failed. Their players are experiencing the slowest salary growth, while the MLBPA continues to avoid the CBA model used in both leagues. If MLBPA doesn’t want a salary cap/floor with a fixed share of revenue, they need to present a workable solution that the Owners will accept at the bargaining table that improves small-market team’s access to elite players. Otherwise, a cap/revenue-sharing model needs to be on the table. It’s just that simple.
In MLB, the Owners are experiencing the slowest franchise value growth, the players are making the least amount of money, and the fans get the shaft with poor competitive balance. Successful industries find a way to balance the value proposition among investors (owners), employees (players), and customers (fans).
I think that MLBPA’s fundamental problem is that its biggest labor win now looks like a Pyrrhic victory. They fought so hard against a cap right after the Owners were caught colluding against them–it’s easy to understand how the animosity and distrust began. But 30 years later, the model they so adamantly opposed is producing better outcomes in other leagues. In most industries, unions are evaluated by how well they do compared to other unions within their industry. Hopefully, they are having an internal discussion about whether they are fighting for the union’s reputation or the best interests of the players they represent.
The one advantage that Andujar brings is that he can hit LH’ers. He has a .297 BA with an .800+ OPS for his career against LH’ers. That’s something few of the Reds can match. Certainly, he isn’t worth a QO. However, the team can’t stack the roster with utility players, e.g., Andujar, Espinal, etc. The Hayes deal only made everything worse without bringing, thus far, much upside, other than relatively cheap. So, if Andujar would sign “cheap”, go for it, otherwise walkaway. Krall and company really need to build a competitive roster this off season. Not another from leftover FAs in February and other teams’ castoffs. Build to WIN for a change.
How about this as a solution. Poor underprivileged teams like the Reds get to play with expanded rosters and slightly different rules. For example the Reds would use two players for select position (s) ie hayes plays 3rd defensively and Andujar would be the offensive 3bmen.. Sounds crazy but something has to help the have – nots.
Andujar already has a role on the team, so there’s no need to make room for him, but it really depends on what the Reds seriously plan to do in the open FA market. If they are going to target that big FA DH or 1B, then no, but if not then I’d sign him.
Not a chance for the QO. Maybe a couple year offer, but you can only have so many of this type of bench player and the limited defense makes me think 2x or 3x about it.
He can’t get a qualifying offer – He was added at midseason this year so that excludes him from that option.
Pass. The Reds don’t need another guy who is a part-time player without a definable defensive position. If they’re going to bring in a DH/1B type it needs to be someone who is a clear upgrade over what we currently have on hand to bat in the middle of their order. Money can be better spent elsewhere.
Seems to me they do need the guy who hit .318 in regular season and .358 just for the Reds. As a guy billed to be a hitter versus just lefties (.389) his .290 versus righties was great for a team needing offense. His .383average the last 15 games makes me question whether they would have ended as a .500 / playoff team without him.Hopefully they can get him for 2 years plus a mutual option on year three (or one that kicks in automatically on performance). A DH, left fielder, or first baseman, let him play somewhere every day.
It’s not that he can’t hit, he can and regardless that’s not exactly what I said. He’s had some years where he’s hit well and this year was his best since his rookie year. He also didn’t hit at all in 4 straight seasons where he was well below average from 2019-2022. So which ones do believe are real? At age 31 next season even if we believe the last 3 years represents the real Andujar we should still reasonably expect a down tick over the course of his contract if it’s multi-year. And even when he does hit he doesn’t show much power. He’s had 18 total HRs in the past three seasons, 58 XBH total over 3 seasons and 750 PA. And those are 3 seasons he was an above average hitter. That’s not a middle of the order bat.
He had 0.8 WAR in his best season since 2018 in 341 PA (the most by far he’s had since 2018). That’s a part time player because he doesn’t provide you anything other than hitting. In fact he has posted a bWAR above 1.0 only once, in 2018 and had several negative WAR seasons. That’s not the profile of a full time guy.
At the positions he can “field” you have Steer, a below average bat overall and a plus glove at 1B but no where else on the field. You have Lux who hits average-ish but isn’t a good glove anywhere. You have Hayes who’s an elite glove but well below average hitter, you have Benson who is good in the field but hits like a 4th OF. That’s too many guys already on the team that need to be “accounted” for at those positions. On top of that the Reds need to figure out where Stewart fits in.
If the Reds wanted to cut bait with some of those guys and bring Andujar as a bench bat, there would be no complaints from me. But for a starting 1B/DH position the Reds need to aim a lot higher than a guy with Andujar’s profile.
To be realistic with finances available and future financial needs (young guy moving towards FA and arbitration) Andujar might be the best hitter in their price range. They definitely are not going to get stuck with another Votto or Moustakas type contract and that’s what it will take to get one of the best available. Put Andujar in left and forget about it.
he does not qualify for the qualifying offer as he was traded mid season.
Exactly, Andujar is not eligible for a qualifying offer.
I…. was just testing you guys! (Whoopsies – I will fix this).
I don’t see Andujar coming back under the conditions you just wrote about. It would be poor roster construction. The Reds have never used the DH in the traditional sense. It’s more to give guys semi days off. The only value Andujar has is as the DH. Having said that I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if that’s exactly what Krall somehow does if HE’S still around which unfortunately looks like he will be.
It would be *continued* poor roster construction.
And there is still a bunch of roster construction mess to clean up.
Yep. haha
Guys, many games have a perfect PH spot during late innings that can determine the outcome. This is what he is made for, this and to DH against LH’s. The guy looked like a hitter, has veteran leadership and won’t cost much. If the team refuses to put adequate money into the team then his spot will probably be filled by someone worse.
Look at the big picture, The ownership aren’t going to spend the 175 million that would probably make them a serious contender. (Spent right ofcourse)
Andujar certainly merits another opportunity with the Reds. The disparity between the Reds and the major-market fat cats is the latter have endless supplies of cash. The Reds have to make do with limited resources but Andujar should be retained.
I think that everyone should put down how much they would be willing to sign the Reds up for to bring him back in both years and dollars per year. Saying bring him back without that information is not helpful. All of us would bring him back for two million bucks but that contract is not a realistic offer.
I think that he probably gets $8-10M a year for three years. I would not bring him back for that if I am the Reds but might if I were other teams. I think he is a DH or 1B and we have that covered but other teams might not and that price makes more sense for them.
I think the same factors that would make the Reds balk at a big offer will make the other teams balk as well. He is pretty much DH only; maybe he could play left in a pinch if his wheels are OK, which they weren’t for the last 5 weeks of 2025.
The Reds have no need for him, if they are actually in on Saurez, Schwarber of Middletown or Alonso. (I won’t repeat it here, but I’ve posted that I believe the Reds will make a competitive offer for Schwarber. The Reds may be outbid, but they will make a good faith offer.) If not, then Andujar is a possibility, because as has been pointed out, he kills lefties.
What a lot of people miss with Andujar was that he was deemed to be a future star when the Yankees brought him up. He delivered at age 23 in 2018 by finishing second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, and slashing .297/.328/.527.
He then got derailed by injuries until 2022, hitting well in AAA for the Yankees, but was released and picked up by the Pirates. He had a full 2023 in AAA with the Pirates, slashing .338/.404/.536, having a nice 30 games with Pittsburgh, and then slashing .306/.344/.405 in the Dominican Winter League. The A’s picked him up in 2024, and he hit .285 without much power as a left fielder. Last year, he slashed .318/.352/.470. When he’s healthy, Andujar is a “professional hitter” type.
He did have a .413 BABIP for the Reds, which is a bit of a red flag, but one that other teams will notice, too.
So, if the price is right — always a big if — I could see them bringing him back. To go with the “state the price” idea, I’d give him 3 years @ $6 million/year, assuming they don’t go all in on another bat. (And we don’t know how he fits in with the locker room, but I will assume that he fit in well.)
Signing Andujar to come back, depends on having an actual plan and what the salary budget is for 2026.
Is there an actual roster spot for Andujar? Does he fit in with any plan for 2026?
What are the major free agent targets for the Reds for 2026, and how much money do they have to spend? Is there a real plan, or are the Reds playing it by ear?
Andujar may or may not be signed by Spring Training, if not signed now by the Reds (after the WS).
He’s an ok role player, but how many of those guys do they need?
The Reds spend money on a bunch of “role player” type guys, instead of signing ONE real impact player that could move them up with regards to winning, adding a substantial amount to team OPS, etc.
In a perfect world, the Reds will bring in two additional bats. With Stewart appearing ready, and Cam Collier likely ready by mid-year/2027, signing a long-term 1B/DH should be reserved for only an elite upgrade.
I’m not holding my breath for an elite upgrade. The Reds almost certainly will get outbid for Schwarber, Tucker, Alonso, etc. If an elite upgrade is not in the cards for OF, 1B, or DH, then the next best alternative is to find the best combination of players on short-term contracts. Andujar could fit on a short-term contract, and given his success with the Reds, he could have interest in a reunion. What will be frustrating for Reds fans is that this will delay their roster construction until the elite free agents are signed and until the deeper-pocketed franchises exhaust their leverage in signing mid-tier free agents.
I think Andujar being labeled a defensive liability is mostly from his play at 3rd base but are we so sure he can not play a serviceable LF for us if healthy?
Now, considering this guy has a proven big league bat, I don’t know how bad a LF would have to be, to be worse than what we currently have.
Who thinks Big Bob or this FO is going to go get us someone better?
Fangraphs has him at -8 runs in left field in what’s essentially a years worth of innings spread out over his career.
Baseball Reference has him at -6 runs in left field over his career.
Baseball Savant has him at -14 outs above average in left field for his career.
So no, his defensive liability isn’t just because of his time at third base. He’s been absolutely atrocious there. But he’s also been pretty bad in left field for his career, too.
His LF stats in Baseball Savant are not good either. He’s a bit on the slow side, but has a cannon of an arm. Defensively, he probably fits best at 1B. At any rate, here’s his Statcast link if you want to dive into his defensive results:
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/miguel-andujar-609280?stats=statcast-r-running-mlb
If the Reds need to add a good hitter or two this offseason, what positions should he/they would play? I’m thinking the only position right now is LF. You can’t consider the infield as a choice unless Matt McLain won’t play at major level. Really 2B seems to be the only place to add someone. Catcher is fill by Stephenson/Trevino. 1B is fill by Steer/Stewart, 3B Hayes/Stewart and SS obviously will be covered by Elly. Friedl and Marte would be back at CF/RF. Maybe Andujar could be a DH all season or be alternated with Stewart. Unless the Reds FO could move on some of these guys such as Steer, Friedl or Hayes and prospects, to make trades looking for a good batter, I think it’s hard to believe there would be room for a player like Andujar And another problem is the defense will get worse. Let’s see…
Realistically – outfield or first base/DH.
All due respect to Spencer Steer – but he absolutely should not prevent anyone from acquiring a legitimate bat.
While I agree to a point, Steer’s Mar/Apr numbers really dragged his 2025 numbers down, and we know there’s a really good reason to consider his Mar/Apr data as anomalous. That said, good teams have quality depth. Quality utility players get nearly the same number of plate appearances as a starter. Also, even if we toss his Mar/Apr, he’s still not at a level where a really good hitter wouldn’t be an improvement. But we could say the same for Friedl and Marte, but neither is as versatile as Steer. Bottom line: Steer should not hold us back from acquiring another quality hitter.
Jason covered this in prior articles, but let’s assume that the Reds don’t retain any free agents, if opening day were tomorrow, here is what the Red’s lineup would likely be 2025 OPS+ in parentheses):
LF – Steer (94)
CF – Friedl (102)
RF – Marte (99)
1B – Stewart (121)
2B – McLain (74)
SS – EDLC (109)
3B – Hayes (65)
C – Stephenson (98)
DH – Lux (97)
Given that the Reds are prioritizing infield defense, McLain and Hayes will likely get considerable opportunities to demonstrate improved hitting next season. Stewart likely gets a long look, meaning either 1B or DH. EDLC will play SS. Friedl will play in the outfield, and Marte likely earned a longer look in the OF as well. So, as I see it, the Reds can add an outfielder and a 1B or DH.
Lux and Steer are versatile and would be ideal utility players who play often and serve as fallback options for McLain and Hayes, who will need to improve as hitters to justify their lineup spots.
How about this as a solution. Poor underprivileged teams like the Reds get to play with expanded rosters and slightly different rules. For example the Reds would use two players for select position (s) ie hayes plays 3rd defensively and Andujar would be the offensive 3bmen.. Sounds crazy but something has to help the have – nots.
In the FA market aside Schwarber, Tucker, Alonso, Naylor, Bellinger I don’t see someone could improve drastically the Reds lineup. I don’t know whether guys like Arraez, Ozuna, O’Hearn, Grisham, Suarez could be affordable for the Reds or not and improve enough the offense
Would love to see Bichette but I doubt that happens. I am pretty sure he could handle 2b. In reality I am really hoping McLain will return to form as a much cheaper option.
I don’t know if Bichette would even be willing to play 2b either.
The difference in this Reds offense when he was playing versus when he didn’t was pretty big. He absolutely helped offset the atrocious numbers put up by McLain and Stephenson. He hits LHP and RHP. If the Reds can swing a 3 year deal that would be outstanding. Get creative and move pieces around to accommodate what he can bring offensively to a team that needs all the hitting it can get to compliment the stellar pitching they possess.
Well, you can’t just put everybody in left field.
I think you might be out in left field on this. 🙂
Yeah, only one player at a time in Left Field.
Seriously, I would consider an upgrade in CF over TJ Friedl. And there is the possibility that Rece Hinds makes the team, and I would put him in CF or RF, which would move Marte to LF (wow, another one!) or DH.
Andujar is a good hitter, if he is actually on the field and not hurt. But is this the place to put resources when we might have other talent in house? If the Reds give him a big deal and he is hurt part of the season, is this a good idea?
There are four guys who presently could play outfield for the Reds in 2026:
Will Benson, TJ Friedl, Noelvi Marte and Rece Hinds. You could also throw in Ryan Vilade, Blake Dunn and even Hector Rodriguez.
It would be nice to have Miguel Andujar (and Benson and Hinds and all the rest are no locks, either), but is this a big “upgrade” player?
Yeah, that’s a lot of left fielders.
I think Ashcraft can play there.
I could play left field, too, but you wouldn’t want to watch and neither would I.
One of the things that Krall seems to have a knack for doing is building the roster from the bottom up rather than the top down.
The additions of Hayes, Lux, Trevino, Espinal, Anduhar, Joe, France, Rosario, Thompson, and even Andujar, Austen Hays and Candelario over the last few years are all add-ons of complementary layers, role players, players to plug holes, etc.
They have based this, it seems, on a reliance of the ‘young stars,’ EDLC, McLain, now Marte, and the ‘young core,’ Stephenson, Steer, Friedl, India to be the top players in their pyramid.
Part of this is their economic reality. Part is, unfortunately, the difficulty attracting top players to Cincinnati, not helped whatsoever by poor ownership.
But part is roster construction. I can live with acquiring Hayes, unlike quite a few here. The way I frame it is that he is a good, defense first (Gold Glove, really) guy to hit 8th or 9th on a good playoff team. He is a good complementary player.
Yet he was our key acquisition at the deadline, “key” if only because of his player control. If the issue was that Elly and Marte had no help at the top of the pyramid (they didn’t), acquiring Hayes, while a nice complementary move, was a tactical failure. Plugging a hole (defense at 3B) in the foundation or basement is a good thing but not when the critical need is weight bearing supports above it.
I like Andujar, and I can really see a place for him as full-time DH and backup 1B/LF. But, on a good team, he hits 7th. We have decent 7 spot hitters already, ie Steer, Stewart, Stephenson. We need a bat or bats to support EDLC and Marte. Waiting a year or more until those two grow into those very reliable 3/4 spot hitters will continue to take time. Waiting until then *without* giving them the support of good 4/5/6 hitters now is self defeating and, at worst, negligent. This includes waiting for Stewart, Collier, and HRod, for instance, not just to reach the major leagues but to develop into experienced, quality hitters.
How this is done is its own conundrum. Given the negatives, ie budget, desirability of location including (especially) ownership, a Really Big Trade is probably the best alternative. That requires risk, with risk averse management.
I love the minor leagues. I love following our minor leaguers closely. I love any development of a home grown major league team. I also realize that prospects get replaced twice a year, every year, with the draft and international signing period.
In my opinion, signing Andujar would help not just stabilize the bottom of the lineup but improve it, especially given necessary subtractions, ie Espinal. That’s OK. But it won’t change many outcomes such as not just squeaking into the playoffs but — a radical idea — advancing in them. If there were ever a time to build the roster from the top down with experienced, productive hitters, it is now.
First, I agree with much of what you said, and to be honest, I almost always agree with your post. Your posts here and at RML are big reasons I come here each day. But I’m going to challenge one of your statements as I believe it’s one of the myths that has grown a life of its own at RLN:
“Part of this is their economic reality. Part is, unfortunately, the difficulty attracting top players to Cincinnati, not helped whatsoever by poor ownership.”
Can you cite any evidence whatsoever to support the assertion that players don’t want to come to Cincinnati or play for this ownership group that is NOT related to baseball economics?
I’ve never heard it. In fact, I’ve seen traded players in tears upon leaving Cincinnati, and I have consistently seen a group that seems to enjoy the community. This August, when the Reds didn’t have playing time or a long-term need for Jake Fraley, they released him to find a better opportunity. They promote their minor league players when they are ready for promotion rather than delaying the start to their service time clocks. Players notice these types of things–we know because they come up in CBA negotiations!
Full disclosure, I have zero ties to Cincinnati, Ohio, or the region outside of following the Reds. So, this isn’t hometown bias, this is an honest assessment from an impartial third party. I became a Reds fan as a child who grew up with no MLB or MiLB team within several hours, and I didn’t like my older brother trying to make me like his team, so I picked the Reds in an act of defiance and have followed them ever since. I’ve visited Cincinnati, Ohio, and the region multiple times as an adult. It’s a wonderful midwestern city with several unique things to see and do. Who doesn’t like to eat chili on spaghetti?
Vocationally, I’ve lived all over the United States, from coast to coast and traveling to every state and every major city along the way. Most people have preferences for where they live, so certainly some will prefer to live elsewhere. But I’m waiting for the actual evidence that there is something inherently wrong with Metro Cincinnati, or hard evidence that the organization doesn’t take good care of its players. So, let’s produce the facts to support this assumption or stop perpetuating it.
You cannot separate not wanting to play for this ownership from their financial policies and practices. You can, however, add on to it.
The Phil Castellani debacle made national headlines and caused at least one former Red, Nick Castellanos, to criticize ownership. Jon India did the same last year after Bell was fired.
Both comments blended money with ethics which is understandable. It’s not easy to speak clearly about ethical issues. Specifically, both framed that issue against the team history of losing.
Also, it’s not hard to interpret things when a top shelf FA states clearly he wants to win. When the economics fir a FA are competitive, decisions turns to other features, winning, location, location as related to family, tons of things. Any number of FA signing press conferences speak to that. It’s also a given players have to be very careful with statements re other ML cities.
As for whether Cincinnati is a desirable destination, I think it’s wise not to criticize or repeat criticism of people’s home. Players sure know this (as do I!).
It may be best to state it’s an individual preference whether some players prefer a smaller town atmosphere or otherwise, ie coastal destination. The economics are certainly a part of that, but there are other factors as well, ie whether players want to play in a small, Midwestern city in Ohio as opposed to a big Midwestern city or a city on the Northeast or a city in California or Texas or the warm weather South, and why they want that.
So, Castellanos’ criticism revolved around the fact that the Reds wouldn’t bid for him after he opted out of his contract. That’s a decision that has proven wise for the Reds. India expressed frustration that the team needed more talent–that’s a byproduct of the economics.
Phil’s comments were extremely poor–I’m not sure how much they are impacting the Reds in acquiring free agents. They didn’t stop the Reds from pulling a future HoF manager out of retirement.
Pagan came out publicly wanting to stay. Castellanos’ criticism was likely rooted in the fact that he wanted to opt out of his contract AND stay in Cincinnati–not too realistic. Singer has talked about how India told him he would love playing for the Reds.
Baseball needs to fix the economic disparity — full stop. If that fundamental, root-cause problem is not resolved, the Reds will enter nearly every future season outgunned, and good players will prefer to play for the teams with better odds at going for a championship.
It seems like we (RLN commentors) are transferring our frustration with the Reds onto the players. I’m not sure players are as down on the franchise as you (and many, many others) are portraying. Just a little food for thought.
Castellanos remarks were in reaction to Phil’s comments, not his being passed over. It’s also not relevant whether it was wise to re-sign him or not when looking at his criticisms.
https://www.citybeat.com/arts/nick-castellanos-seemingly-slams-cincinnati-reds-ownership-as-phil-castellini-deals-with-fan-fallout-after-snide-comments-12981320/
India’s were in reaction to Bell’s firing, the team’s failure to perform and not having enough talent, the latter two of which are more complex than strict financials, ie taking risks to make trades, draft choices etc.
Not every issue is a singular result of the overarching problem with baseball’s economics. Fixing it won’t be a panacea. The ownership and management still have to execute.
It is well recognized throughout baseball that Reds fans are justifiably frustrated with both. That cannot be ignored, as players talk among themselves, agents talk, staff talk etc. Reputations, fair or unfair, are earned. Phil didn’t just make a poor remark. He damaged the organization. People noticed. It was national news.
Thanks, Dave, that’s a different quote from Castellanos than another one I’ve heard him make after he left. Still, it’s just two sentences criticizing the Reds. In context, the ESPN author used it as an example of how the players perceive that small-market teams were still not trying a year into the new CBA. Of course, the impacts of COVID on the Reds selloff Nick was complaining about were omitted by the ESPN author. These comments were also made after he was a Phillie and the Reds declined to bid for his services after he opted out.
Now, go back and read the original article … Phil C.’s comments were NOT what Castellanos was referring to. The City Beat article you posted reframed Castellanos’ comments to fit her agenda.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33718964/the-new-cba-was-supposed-end-tanking-mlb-here-why
Again, where is the national/local journalist stating that players don’t want to come to Cincinnati?
I am not in any way defending Phil C. I said at the time that he should have been fired. I still feel that way. I just haven’t seen the pattern that you and others are perceiving as warranted in credible reporting.
I thought that the Reds did make Castellanos an offer.
Jon Heyman reported that the Reds were in on NC, before he signed with Philadelphia. According to my memory, Castellanos later stated the Reds never made an offer after he opted out. Buyer beware with trusting my memory.
Appropriate warnings apply to my memory, too, but that’s how I remember it. Since I’m out on this limb, I’ll add that my recollection is that the Reds offered him what he’d made the immediately preceding season. I also recall that he left under something of a cloud.
Agreed. The window is cracked open and this is the year to go for it.
I’m with Doug. If the Reds are going to progress beyond where they got this year, they cannot be worrying where (or if) guys who are simply “OK” fit into the mix. The bar has to be raised.
Also, for as good as Steer was defensively at 1B, Baseball Reference tagged him with a -0.6 dWAR in 2025 off a -0.9 dWAR in both 2023 and 24. This doesn’t recommend him as a “super utility” guy anywhere aside from 1B.
WAR computations include positional adjustments that ding first basemen simply for manning a less challenging position. WAR is an attempt to normalize the value of players at a variety of positions. It would seem best to keep any dWAR comparisons to those between players playing the same positions, because, as I read the explanations at both BR and Fangraphs, the positional adjustment is captured in the defensive component of WAR.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/about/war_explained_position.shtml
The point I meant to make was that Steer is fine on defense at 1B but also very poor defensely at every other spot he has been used be that the infield or outfield. It was more a comp of him at 1B moving the dWAR needle in the postive direction in 2025 from where it had been previously yet still in the negative territory from his scant use elsewhere in 2025.
Most players struggle with playing a variety of positions. Steer previously graded out poorly at 1B. Once he played there consistently, he excelled.
Steer is fine at 1B. His wRC+ while playing first was 114. The average for 1B is 108. Also, according to Statcast his FRV value at 1B was 4 runs above average so all in all he would probably be slightly above average at 1B. Maybe something like 2.3 WAR if he played there an entire year.
Realistically, with the Reds’s limited budget, the best they can do is to scrape together a team that can eek into the playoffs and hope that their starting pitching is good enough shut down the other team. The Reds will never be able to construct a team like the Dodgers filled with high priced free agents. Raising the bar sounds like a pipe dream.
Not saying I disagree but if Steer shouldn’t block anyone how can it possibly be justifiable to have Hayes block anyone? As soon as his bad back takes away even a little bit of his defense he will be virtually worthless. If possible….TRADE HIM NOW. I don’t care what you get for him. Just getting rid of his contract would be good enough which is I’m sure exactly how PIttsburgh viewed it. Obviously Krall didn’t. smh
Do we know that his back is on the trajectory you imply, Melvin? Hitting is an area in which the Reds need to improve. No argument. But so is defense, and Hayes admirably addresses that at a position that was especially troubled. He may or may not improve his hitting, though it’s worth noting that both his average EV and hard-hit% are at or slightly above league average.
I should have added that the Blue Jays and Dodgers both rank in the top five in team fielding this year.
It’s been documented that the back of Hayes is a chronic issue and is not going away. It can only be treated. It cannot be cured. Krall knew this evidently. smh
“I should have added that the Blue Jays and Dodgers both rank in the top five in team fielding this year.”
They also have a much better offense. Do you ACTUALLY think that either one of those teams would have Hayes as their every day third baseman? hahaha I think you know better.
Silly season is upon us. Where people expect the Reds to sign guys like Schwarber and end up with guys who are coming off injuries or whatever and Are expected or hoped to bounce back. Guy kills lefties and is a good hitter from the right hand side and people don’t want him. Perfect DH material. Nope people want to use that position for guys who need a break from the field. Like who on the Reds was a better hitter that Andujar ?
Initially, I thought bringing Miguel Andujar back would be a good idea, but really the Reds have a lot of DH types…Stewart, Stephenson (when not catching), CES and Cam Collier on his way. If the Reds pursue Andujar, it likely means they are not going to sign a significant FA upgrade, but on the other hand, they likely won’t do either.
I think the FA market will be slow this winter for most teams with the CBA expiring next season. I am trying not to get my hopes up this offseason. The Reds may make a trade or two, but I don’t see them adding a lot of payroll. Hopefully, I am wrong.
Votto4life
Yes, that is my view also. Re-signing Miguel Andujar is a tell. The Reds are going to sign mid to low level free agents (same as always) to fill out any gaps in the roster.
They will not commit to +$100 million dollars over multiple years to sign a top-drawer free agent position player. And maybe that is actually alright, because if that big free agent gets hurt or fades, the Reds, a relatively small budget club, are going to be stuck for years (re: Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey Jr. from 2000-2003, although the money was lower, it was a big bite out of the payroll).
I don’t know what I would do if I was “Top Management”, but it looks like the safe way, more of the same.
I don’t see the point. No defense, good contact skills, RH bat – that’s exactly the profile we don’t need. This team leans right. We already have Stewart, Hayes, Steer, McLain, Marte, the catchers. They’d have to think Andujar is a massive upgrade on some of those players. That he has big untapped power somewhere. I don’t know. He’s 30 and the numbers are what they are.
Sometimes it feels like they’re just collecting guys who Fangraphs considered great hitting prospects when they were young. Lux, Hayes, now Andujar. FG had Andujar listed as “60 raw power” eight years ago – there must be team scouts who felt the same way and still do.
He was awesome for us but this is a pretty hard pass.
I agree overall to pass on Andujar. I loved watching him hit, and I wouldn’t mind him being on the Reds for a smaller salary, but just think he’s not a player to depend on to be a key contributor, to give bigger money too, the DH job to, etc.
I actually had a Rookie Baseball Card of Andujar on the Yankees, and was thinking is this the same Andujar?! I think he was maybe supposed to be a star.
But man he was fun to watch hit, he just takes some crazy hard swings at the ball, reminds me a little of Vladimir Guerrero Sr. I hope he does well wherever he lands.
Reds are not spending free agent $ at the Bellinger/Schwarbwr level. Just face it so you won’t be disappointed.
In the other hand, the production from first base, DH and left field positions was terrible in 2025 compared to the league. Putting Tyler Stephenson at DH half the time is not a solution. Stephenson hits well for a catcher. He hits poorly for a DH.
And anointing Sal Stewart as an all-star level first baseman Carrie’s a lot of risks. We need backup to the backup.
Miguel andujar had to take a 3m$ contract to play in a minor league ballpark in 2025 after posting a 0.5 WAR season in 2024. He is not getting 8m$ based on 100 at bats in Cincinnati.
We need bench players. He can play a passable first base and left field. And he crushes lefties – which no one on current roster does.
Give the man a raise – 4$m and he’s a Cincinnati red for 2026 and I’d be glad to have him.
Andujar is a DH with the ability to post awful defensive metrics at multiple positions. At the same time, he is a major league hitter. He is probably best served signing with a second tier team and then perhaps trading for again at the Deadline. He has quite a bit of value as a hitter. However, we need to go big this winter or sell the team. That means Alonso, Schwarber, Bellinger, or bust.
Boy you are going to be disappointed this winter.
I hear ya, JB. Not grounded in reality, but you have to believe we’ll turn a corner. 🙂
We need to get the upcoming World Series completed before trade and contract time begins. I’m pulling for the Jays since we have Canadian friends and neighbors here in Tampa Bay although they’re Chicago Bull hockey fans. The Reds have and have always had limited financial resources, but they will make their best offer to Schwarber, Alonso, Suarez, etc. Due to limited defensive ability and injury history, Andujar is a DH or pinch hitter. The Reds will offer him a reasonable contract if they cannot acquire a top thumper. As far as Cincinnati goes, I’ve heard over a long time that many players and their families have enjoyed their time in Cincinnati.
….Chicago Bull hockey fans… (?)
Bulls are NBA. Blackhawks are NHL. 😉
I thought Andujar was a savvy pickup at at the deadline, especially for what he cost. I would kick the tires on a reasonable cost 2 or 2+option year deal with him. This is assuming the Reds don’t actually end up landing a big time FA. If they did shock the world and sign a Schwarber or a Bellinger, I don’t see where there’s a job and a roster spot for Andujar. But otherwise, yeah, keep. Even if he ends up being a platoon DH and last resort LF/1B, an injury free Miguel has a bat that will play.
Yes, I think that is the point. If the Reds sign Miguel Andujar, unlikely they sign a big name, big ticket free agent, because there just won’t be room on the roster.
I have no crystal ball that can tell me what the roster will look like on Opening Day, 2026, but I don’t see a big signing in the future. The Reds will still be paying off Jeimer Candelario.
I like Andujar but he is strictly a DH and the Reds already have a ton of righty bats.
Stephenson, Steer, Hayes, McLain, Marte, Stewart.
Id grab a lefty power bat in FA for DH/1b like O’Hearn or Naylor(both hit lefties as well) and take the $$$$ of Andujar and Hays and Suter and Barlow to grab a mid/upper tier lefty thumper. Take the savings from Martinez and grab a good power lefty bullpen arm and a flexible hybrid bullpen arm/swing starter to add depth to a good rotation of Greene ,Lodolo, Abbott, Singer, and Burns. Lowder is in the mix too.
Sounds good, O-S.
Love it OS.Power bats and power arms always work.The missing links to getting to 90 wins IMO for this team.
@OS> +1000 on concept. My concern is that several of those current RH hitters are just as likely to be fool’s gold as to be real gold.
@ Jim
Dont disagree
But when commenting I try to take into account reality which is McLain and Hayes will be in the lineup every day as will steer
Id prefer nico hoerner at 2b and freddie freeman at 1b and manny machado 3b and julio rodriguez cf but thats not happening
@OS, absolutely!
Andujar’s problem has been injuries throughout most of his career. In between a healthy rookie year and a healthy 2025 seven years later, he had six years of injuries and struggle: his wOBA and wRC+ were 20% below average as a hitter for that stretch. To expect a player now in his 30’s to stay healthy and replicate 2025 instead of the 6 year track record before it is unrealistic. No way I commit starting caliber dollars for Andujar on a multi-year deal. To preserve his health, he is probably a DH against LHP and a bench bat who has the ability to cover a couple of positions in the field in an emergency. We saw the best stretch of play for Andujar in seven years, let’s not let that bias our future projections when his track record is well-established.