The Reds announced that they have turned down three contract options. Outfielder Austin Hays had a $12MM mutual option on his deal but the club has declined that in favor of giving him a $1MM buyout. Right-hander Scott Barlow receives a $1MM buyout instead of a $6.5MM club option. Left-hander Brent Suter gets a $250K buyout instead of a $3MM club option. All three players are now free agents.
None of the three decisions is a shock, though there did seem to be a chance of Suter being brought back. His earned run average jumped up to 4.52 this year and he’s now 36 years old but the price isn’t egregious. He also has a strong clubhouse reputation and local ties as a guy who played high school ball in Cincinnati.
It seems that wasn’t enough for the Reds to overlook the numbers. As mentioned, his age and ERA both crept up this year. He is still doing a good job limiting hard contact, so he should still be in line for a gig somewhere. Perhaps the Reds will circle back to him and try to bring him back at a lower price point.
Barlow, 33 in December, signed with the Reds last offseason. The one-year deal came with a $2.5MM guarantee in the form of a $1.5MM salary plus the aforementioned option buyout. His 4.21 ERA this year was fairly close to last year’s 4.25 but with concerning trends under the hood. His strikeout rate dropped from 28.2% last year to 24.8% this year, his walk rate climbed from 12.9% to 14.9% and his grounder rate dropped from 47.1% to 42.9%.
Though the ERA held fairly steady, given the direction of the other numbers, it’s understandable that the Reds didn’t want to give him a relatively hefty raise. The Reds aren’t a big spender and will have about the same payroll next year, so they are keeping some powder dry for now.
As for Hays, his option always seemed destined to be bought out. It’s been over a decade since a mutual option was triggered by both sides. They are usually added to contracts as a way for the team to delay paying part of the guarantee. The Reds signed Hays last winter to a one-year, $5MM deal, with a $4MM salary and then the $1MM buyout on the $12MM mutual option.
He had a decent season, slashing .266/.315/.453 for a 105 wRC+, but that wasn’t going to be enough for the Reds to double his salary. He’ll head out to the open market to look for his next opportunity. That will likely come from a club in need of help against southpaws. Hays swings right-handed and has been better against lefty pitchers in his career. That includes a .319/.400/.549 line and 155 wRC+ in 2025.
Photo courtesy of Aaron Doster, Imagn Images
Hays had a nice little bounce back yr with cincy
I agree with all of these as the best move
They’ll sign Suter on a smaller deal.
Why? His age.is just going to continue to creep up (as will every players) and Cincinnati doesn’t like that!
There’s almost 17 million in lettuce for Buffalo Bob to use elsewhere. Hopefully not to just feed Phil.
If they use the money on other needs, it’s good savings but we’ll see.
This just makes those other needs larger. Many holes to fill in the bullpen and on offense – with less money to spend on FAs than last year given the arbitration class. It’s going to be a disappointing offseason for Reds fans, I would imagine.
So here is my take assuming all the remaining arbitration eligible players are kept and the 26 man roster is filled out currently with league minimum players like Mey and Maxwell in the Pen and CES and Hinds on the offensive side the payroll currently stands at $92 million roughly. It has been said we will have the same payroll as last year which is $115 million. You can deduct a league minimum of $750,000 for each of the items needed below signed as a free agent.
1. Closer or very good 8th inning guy $10 million
2. Proven left handed power bat in the lineup everyday unless we are good with benson being that $17 million
3. Now that hays is out a right handed bat with decent power unless we are good with CES $6 million maybe like andujar.
4. Left handed pen pitcher as we only have 2 on the 40 man $5 million
That brings us up to $130 million so that tells me to get what we need and stay at $115 million we will needtrade either singer or Greene since we have Lowder and Williamson mlb ready.
Yep. This level of payroll year after year after year is embarrassing. I wonder what the ROI is for all the investors? Better be good if fans aren’t getting any value.
Krall doesn’t overstate Reds payroll. With improved attendance and TV viewership in 2025, I see Reds payroll creeping up to the $125-130MM range. Additionally , Krall will trade for at least 1 of your above stated needs. Reds will build on 2025 success—modestly.
Cash strapped. Hearing the only money they save or cut is what they can spend
The Reds are cheap and are cash strapped but not in this situation. Any other team would have declined these options as well. Barlow are Suter are below average at this point. Hays, who is often injured, is average too if he could ever play 140 games in GABP.
It all depends as always on who they replace them with. If they are dumpster diving as usual, you may wish they were still around.
Need to bring back local boy suter for sure. Hays isn’t worth 12 million for sure
Sutter we should have kept as we only have 2 left handed pen pitchers on the 40 man roster and a free agent will likely cost what we would have paid sutter. Barlow definitely not a keeper and I am good with not agreeing to hays as long as we can sign a left handed power bat along the lines of schwarber but I don’t think that is their plan.
I wouldn’t mind if the Cards took a flyer on Hays.
Yeah him or Lane Thomas could make sense.
Hays was decent when healthy but not a cleanup guy. Better suited batting 6 or 7. Not worth $12M. Barlow was pretty good late in season but $6.5 seems high. I hope they do resign Suter. Good clubhouse guy and every pen needs a guy like him
Hays would be a fine platoon OFer with the Royals. Maybe with a re-signed Yaz?
Hays isn’t unplayable against righties and let’s be honest in that Royals outfield he’d project as an everyday bat.
This leaves them a lot of $$$ to replace Hayes with a better OF. They may negotiate with Barlow & Suter, at lower contract prices. If not, they have more $$$ to go on a RP shopping spree.
What about Hays heading north up I-71 to Cleveland.
The Reds need to go get Schwarber. Or Tucker. Its time to spend. They got a lot of good young talent its time to spend.
Pass on Tucker and maybe on schwarber but it is time to make some moves
Why pass on 2 of the best hitters available?
Reds need a lefty middle of the order bat.
It was posted yesterday that Krall said the Reds will maintain around the same ’25 payroll. Neither players will fit their budget when there are other areas of need.
@cards because I don’t think either of those contracts will be good for the reds a couple years from now. They could however trade some pitching for a good hitter or two and spend money on some bullpen help and back end of the rotation
Schwarber has his warts. Tons of strikeouts, low BA, slow afoot and not good on defense. Pretty much limited to DH and a long term deal won’t age well. We need to trade a young starting pitcher for a stud outfielder with a comparable contract status. Quality for quality.
@octavian8 totally agree, I’ll take one soderstrom please
Schwarber would be a massive improvement for that lineup. How about the Reds take a prospect haul for Hunter Greene, use the multiyear savings to help pay for Schwarber, and even trade some of those prospects for more OF help.
He’s the guy I want in a Reds uniform, too. Time to trade from the prospect capital.
Tucker contract might be bad eventually but not a couple years. And Schwarber wont get a ton of years anyways so who cares? The Reds need a big middle of the order lefty bat. They could sign Schwarber, who btw is from Ohio, and then still make a trade for someone else.
I mean they need a big bat from either side though they technically hit righty’s better than lefty’s. The Phillies will want schwarber back so he’ll probably end up getting five years and the last couple of those will most likely not be great. The reds can’t/wont and probably shouldn’t go all in or else they’ll end up rebuilding again in two years.
Per FG, in the past ten years, only 10 players, aged 33-36, have accumulated 10 fWAR. Schwarber is unlikely to be worth his $100M+ contract.
How many position players have even played 4 seasons in that period of time?
You are making up stats dude.
their window is now..
They won’t get Tucker as I am seeing a $400 million contract. I have seen Schwarber projections low end $25 million a year for 4 years and if the reds can get him for that they should but if the payroll is going to be the same as last year that is all they could get. They would still need a closer, left handed pen pitcher and another right handed bat.
Or Alonso
A lot of spots to fill in OF, nobody behind Friedl and Marte, Benson may be non-tendered plus a couple of guys in AAA.
You must get money from the government. You’re pretty liberal with other people’s money.
They’re spending 120 million. You want them to spend a third on one guy, with no one around him to make people pitch to him. Elly? No one is scared to pitch to him. Not until he proves he can hit in the clutch.
And maybe in years 4 and 5 of his desired 5 year contract, Cincinnati can pay him for not playing too. Things go downhill quick for most at 35. He’s not in Nolan Ryan middle aged health.
They need to hire a front office that can build a team on their budget. Not buy one peacock to pretty up the turkey farm.
You must think you know everything
They need an ownership group that can afford or willing to spend $15 million more on a payroll after making the postseason than they did the prior season. For $130 million payroll they could fill out their roster with a playoff caliber team again. Luck and health matters as much as anything and this past year we had health as well as we have had in a few season and lucky the Mets collapsed. Not saying if we spent $130 million we would beat the dodgers but it would give us a good chance to get back and maybe play a team like the brewers first round who would have no more talent or payroll than we do.
3rd Wild Card contenders, here they come….
In 2021, these were all good players.
These all make sense. Teams with lower funds can’t afford to keep guys like this around. Not horrible but not worth it either.
The reds are already saving 21 million by not resigning Nick Martinez and I don’t think they will give 10-15 million a season for Emilio pagan. I’d think they might contact Boston about Jaren Duran or bring Brent Rooker from the athletics to dh. Maybe Lodolo in either trade since Nick only has 2 years left before free agency
I say bring Austin Hays back at like $7M. If that’s too low for him, good luck to him. I think he’s a good ballplayer and will always root for him. Would like to see him stay in a Reds uni, but we’ll see.
Yeah I wouldn’t mind that, I could see them getting Castellanos back too if the Phil’s pay down the contract enough.
Hard no to Castellanos. We don’t need negative leadership on this team.
I’m just saying if he’s cheap enough they’ll probably do it
Bet the Cubs will “kick the tires” on Suter.
Castellini has the smallest net worth of any owner in Major League Baseball. Pinching pennies is what we are going to get until the team is sold to someone with deeper pockets.
My guess a new owner will not spend more. The revenue is what it is.