Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft won his arbitration hearing against the team, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. He and his reps at the Bledsoe Agency filed for a $1.75MM salary, while the team filed at $1.25MM. Ashcraft will receive the larger of those two figures in 2026. Players have won all five arbitration hearings that have been decided thus far in 2026.
Ashcraft, 28 next week, had a breakout season in the bullpen for Cincinnati. The former starter took to his new relief role, logging 65 1/3 innings with a 3.99 ERA. A forearm strain late in the season may have helped beef that ERA up a bit; he missed two weeks in late August/early September and was immediately tagged for five runs in his first two innings back on the mound, though he righted the ship thereafter, rattling off 5 1/3 shutout innings to end the year.
The 6’2″, 245-pound Ashcraft already threw hard as a starter, but his heater jumped to an average of 97.1 mph in relief. He paired that offering with a slider sitting 89.8 mph and showed more bat-missing ability than his 22.5% strikeout rate would otherwise indicate. That mark is right in line with league average, but Ashcraft’s 13.2% swinging-strike rate is more than two percentage points north of par. He also posted a solid 8.8% walk rate and a huge 55.9% ground-ball rate.
Ashcraft began the season working in lower-leverage spots but was one of manager Terry Francona’s top options in tight situations by season’s end. By measure of leverage index, Tony Santillan worked in the most pressure-packed spots, but Ashcraft was only a bit behind him, ranking slightly ahead of closer Emilio Pagan, who was more typically reserved for more traditional ninth-inning work.
The Reds re-signed Pagan to a two-year deal this winter, the second season of which is a player option. Ashcraft, alongside Santillan, will reprise his role as one of Pagan’s top setup men. If Pagan opts out after the season and signs elsewhere, Ashcraft could be in the mix for closing opportunities in 2027. This was his first trip through arbitration. Ashcraft is controllable through 2028 and is owed two more raises in arbitration over the next couple offseasons.
Good for Graham. He did a good job last season. Didn’t deserve to be low balled.
MLB definitely firing this arbitration panel once the hearings conclude.
Why? Skubal was going to win hands down. Tigers blew that one.
Ashcroft appears in 62 games with a 2.72 FIP and Reds thought they could low ball him at $1.25M,
——
Teams have to put more thought into their bids. Or, in the Ashcroft situation, just settle in advance.
yeah players have deservedly won but MLBPA so far is undefeated. right or wrong it’s gonna bother the owners.
Agreed, owners arent go to blame themselves. It has to be the arbiter’s fault.
Squabbling over $500,000 with one of your young pitchers in arbitration.
Not a good look Cincinnati.
These players get greedier by the day. They should be appreciative and thankful for what they are offered as most of them only have the skill set to work at a Jiffy Lube.
Bob Castellini is this you?
I am Marge Schott‘s grandson, but that has nothing to do with this.
Too bad for “The team”.