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Jake Fraley

Reds Place Jake Fraley On 10-Day Injured List

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The Reds activated outfielder Austin Hays from the 10-day injured list yesterday, and placed Jake Fraley on the 10-day IL (retroactive to June 24) in the corresponding move.  Fraley may be facing an extended or even season-ending absence, as the outfielder told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and other reporters that he has a partial right labrum tear, even though the Reds officially listed a right shoulder sprain as the reason for his IL placement.

Surgery might be required to fix Fraley’s shoulder, though he is in the process of seeking out what Sheldon describes as a third opinion for what has apparently been a longstanding shoulder problem.  Fraley spent a couple of weeks on the IL due to right shoulder soreness late in the 2021 season when he was still with the Mariners, and he has been dealing with “some achiness” ever since, and that lingering soreness went up a level during a play last season.

“I had a play going into the wall that I jammed up the shoulder,” Fraley said.  “I never went on the IL.  I played through it, still had a good season and it was fine but it was excruciating.”

Fraley hasn’t played since Monday, when he made a diving attempt to try and catch what ended up being a Cody Bellinger double.  He felt the tear might have occurred during that particular play, even though he felt good enough to stay on the field and finish the last two innings of the Reds’ 6-1 win over the Yankees.

“We’re just trying to figure out if it’s something that’s just an old injury that kind of showed its face again,” Fraley said.  “This is something new with the tear in the front.  We’re just trying to figure out the best option for, obviously, me and this season on this team and then as well trying to gauge what is the best thing for me in my career.  Just because it is something that has been chronic and now you’re throwing a tear on top of it.”

This is the second IL stint of the year for Fraley, who missed a little over three weeks dealing with a calf injury in May.  The outfielder is hitting .224/.331/.376 with five home runs over 145 plate appearances, translating to a 96 wRC+ that is virtually identical to the 95 wRC+ that Fraley posted over 382 PA in 2024.  His walk and hard-contact numbers are way up from last year’s stats, yet Fraley only has a .250 BABIP this season, as opposed to the .331 BABIP he enjoyed last season.

Injuries have long been a subplot of Fraley’s career, and it could be that these varied health issues (headlined by this recurring shoulder problem) have limited his production over the last two years.  The Reds have primarily used the left-handed hitting Fraley in a platoon role in their outfield since acquiring the outfielder from Seattle in March 2022, and Fraley’s solid numbers against right-handed pitching have declined since the start of the 2024 campaign.

If a season-ending shoulder surgery is in the cards for Fraley, Cincinnati would still have TJ Friedl, Will Benson, and Gavin Lux as left-handed hitting options for the outfield, with Lux perhaps getting even more time in left field as opposed to playing second or third base.  While the Reds aren’t hurting for depth in terms of pure players available, the club hasn’t gotten much offense from its outfield as a whole this season.  Getting Hays back can help, but since Hays has been on and off the IL himself all year and might see a lot of DH time.

In short, the outfield was already looking like a need for the Reds at the trade deadline, as Cincinnati is looking to boost what has been an overall middling offense.  While the team sits in fourth place in the competitive NL Central, the 43-39 Reds are only five games back of the division-leading Cubs and two games out of the final NL wild card berth, so Cincinnati projects to be a buyer to some extent before the July 31 deadline.

Reds Activate Brandon Williamson From 60-Day IL

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The Reds announced a series of roster moves this morning that saw them activate left-handers Brandon Williamson and Brent Suter as well as outfielder Jake Fraley from the injured list. Right-hander David Buchanan was designated for assignment to make room for Williamson, who had been on the 60-day IL, on both the 40-man and active rosters. No corresponding moves were necessary to return Fraley and Suter, who were on the 10- and 15-day ILs respectively and will take the extra roster spots created by today’s expansion from 26 to 28 roster spots.

Williamson, 26, has missed the entire season to this point due to a shoulder strain he suffered back in March. The lefty was at risk of requiring season-ending surgery back in June but opted against going under the knife in hopes of rehabbing the issue. That plan has clearly worked out fairly well, as the lefty is now back on a big league mound for the first time in nearly a full calendar year. The southpaw enjoyed a solid if unspectacular rookie season with the Reds last year with a 4.46 ERA and 4.63 FIP to go along with a 20% strikeout rate in 117 innings that came together to give him the look of a solid back-of-the-rotation starting option.

Once a top-100 prospect, Williamson was acquired alongside Fraley as part of the package that sent Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez to the Mariners prior to the 2022 season. Long looked at as a likely middle- to back-of-the-rotation arm, Williamson has turned heads during his rehab process in the minor leagues this year with a microscopic 0.55 ERA in five rehab starts this year. That excellent production is backed up by an increase in strikeout rate, as Williamson has punched out 25.4% of batters faced while rehabbing this year. If the young lefty really has managed to not only return healthy but shows signs of having taken a step forward at the big league level down the stretch this year, that’ll be an exciting turn of events for the Reds as they look ahead to 2025 with Williamson, Nick Lodolo, and Rhett Lowder all in the conversation for starts behind Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbott.

Making room for Williamson on the 40-man roster is Buchanan, who was added to the club’s roster just yesterday. The 35-year-old journeyman posted 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball in yesterday’s game against the Brewers in what was his first big league work in nearly a decade. The righty last pitched in the majors for the Phillies back in 2015, when he struggled to a 6.99 ERA in 15 starts on the heels of what was a promising rookie campaign in 2014. Since then, Buchanan has spent the majority of his career pitching overseas in Japan and Korea, with a combined 3.50 ERA in 1169 2/3 overseas innings of work.

As for Fraley and Suter, the pair return from the injured list for the stretch run in hopes of proving themselves healthy and effective headed into next season. Fraley, 29, has struggled this year when healthy with a lackluster slash line of just .271/.323/.366 in 92 games. Suter, meanwhile, sports a 3.68 ERA and 4.30 FIP in 51 1/3 innings of work so far this year. The Reds hold a $3.5MM club option of Suter’s services for next season, while Fraley will be eligible for arbitration for the second time in his career over the offseason.

Reds Designate Brooks Kriske For Assignment

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The Reds announced that they have signed first baseman Dominic Smith, a move that was previously reported. He takes the active roster spot of outfielder Jake Fraley, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right knee sprain, retroactive to August 21. To open a 40-man spot for Smith, the Reds have designated right-hander Brooks Kriske for assignment.

Kriske, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Reds in the offseason. He was selected to the roster June 17 but wasn’t put into that day’s game and was optioned after it ended. That means he’s been stuck in Triple-A all year, where his numbers have been solid. He has tossed 49 1/3 innings, allowing 3.10 earned runs per nine. His 14.8% walk rate is quite high but he has also punched out 36.7% of batters faced.

That’s not totally out of character for him. He has 21 2/3 major league innings with an 11.22 ERA in that small sample, striking out 24.3% of batters faced while walking 16.5%. In 108 minor league innings dating back to the start of 2021, he has a 3.92 ERA, 13.2% walk rate and 36.8% strikeout rate.

With the trade deadline now in the rear-view mirror, the Reds will have to place him on waivers in the coming days. The lack of control is obviously a concern but the big strikeout numbers are enticing. If any club puts in a claim, Kriske has less than a year of service time. He is in his final option year and will be out of options as of next season.

Reds Select Austin Wynns, Edwin Ríos

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The Reds announced that catcher Luke Maile has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a herniated disc in his back. Outfielder Jake Fraley was placed on the family medical emergency list. To take those two roster spots, the club has selected catcher Austin Wynns and infielder Edwin Ríos. They had one open 40-man spot but opened another by designating infielder/outfielder Levi Jordan for assignment.

Maile, 33, was visibly injured in yesterday’s game. In video provided by Bally Sports Cincinnati on X, he can be seen limping and clutching at his back while running towards first base. It’s unclear how serious the issue is but the Reds have decided to let him sit out for the next ten days at least.

The injury will get Wynns selected to the roster for the third time in the past two weeks. He was first added when Tyler Stephenson was hurt with a day-to-day issue, but removed once Stephenson felt better. Then Stephenson needed to go on the paternity list, getting Wynns a second stint. When Stephenson came back, Wynns was bumped off again and now returns once more.

Every time he’s been nudged off the roster, Wynns has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment. As a player with more than three years of service time but less than five, he has the right to reject outright assignments, but doing so means walking away from whatever money is left on his contract. He signed a split deal with the Reds in the offseason that pays him $900K in the majors and $300K in the minors and seemingly wants to keep that on the table for himself.

Now he’ll presumably get at least a stretch of 10 days to serve as Stephenson’s backup while Maile is out. Wynns has hit just .229/.276/.331 in his career but is generally considered to be a competent defender.

Ríos, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Reds in the offseason. He’s taken 203 trips to the plate at the Triple-A level this year, striking out in 28.6% of those but also drawing walks at an 11.8% clip and hitting 11 home runs. He has a .243/.340/.486 line for the year, which translates to a 107 wRC+.

That has generally been the recipe with Ríos, who has previously been with the Dodgers and Cubs. He has 21 home runs in just 325 big league plate appearances but has also been punched out at a 33.5% clip. He’ll provide the Reds with a potent left-handed power bat but also one with some holes in it. Defensively, he’s mostly played first and third base but also the outfield corners.

Noelvi Marté has been at third base most of the time lately, with Jeimer Candelario and Spencer Steer sharing first base and the designated hitter slot. Steer can also play a bit of left field, but the Reds have some other options on the grass. Even with Fraley away from the club, they have Stuart Fairchild, Nick Martini, Will Benson and Blake Dunn as capable outfielders. Ríos is out of options but can be retained beyond this season via arbitration if he manages to hang onto his roster spot through the end of the year.

Reds Notes: Graupe, Coaching Staff, Deadline Approach, Fraley

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The Reds are promoting Jeff Graupe from vice president of player acquisition/strategy to assistant general manager, reports C. Trent Rosecrans of the Athletic (X link). He joins Sam Grossman as holders of the AGM title. Graupe receives the bump a few weeks after the promotion of Brad Meador from AGM to general manager, a move that solidified Meador as the #2 in the front office hierarchy behind president of baseball operations Nick Krall.

Graupe has been working in the organization in one role or another for the past 18 years. He’d also served as senior director of player personnel and senior director of player development before holding his VP title.

The continuity in leadership extends to the coaching staff. Krall told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com (via X) that all of their coaches will return in 2024. David Bell will be back for a sixth season as manager. The 51-year-old skipper signed a midseason extension that keeps him under contract through 2026.

Krall also revisited the club’s quiet trade deadline. Asked by Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer whether he feels in retrospect the front office should have done more to aid their playoff push, the front office head said he “(doesn’t) have any regrets not doing anything.” Krall added that he felt the asking price on impending free agents and/or “shorter-term assets” wasn’t prudent.

With a couple of Wild Card clubs playing in the NLCS, one can question the Reds’ deadline approach. Sitting in the top Wild Card spot at the end of July, Cincinnati only made one move, acquiring left-handed reliever Sam Moll from the A’s for right-hander Joe Boyle. It was surprising the front office didn’t add to the rotation, in particular, as Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo were injured and the team was largely reliant on an inexperienced starting staff.

Cincinnati went 23-31 after the deadline, finishing two games out of a postseason berth. Whether the team’s fortunes would have been different had the Reds been more aggressive in July obviously can’t be known. (The D-Backs succeeded despite also coming up empty in their search for rotation help, although they did add closer Paul Sewald.) Krall and his staff are hopeful the progress shown this year lays the foundation for sustained success in 2024 and beyond.

In on-field news, left fielder Jake Fraley underwent surgery last week to repair a fractured toe on his left foot, relays Sheldon. Fraley had played through the injury and told reporters in August that he was going to require an offseason procedure. He’s expected to be full-go for Spring Training. The left-handed hitter put up a .256/.339/.443 line in 380 plate appearances this past season.

Reds Notes: Newman, India, Lively, Marte, Fraley

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Noelvi Marte’s arrival in the majors is the big news out of Cincinnati today, but Marte’s promotion came with a notable corresponding move.  The Reds announced that infielder Kevin Newman was placed (retroactive to August 16) on the 10-day injured list due to a left oblique strain.

The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, though even if Newman has suffered a Grade 1 strain, any setback or lingering effects could mean that his 2023 season is over.  The 30-year-old has hit .253/.311/.364 over 253 plate appearances in his first season with the Reds, after being acquired from the Pirates back in November.

Newman and Jose Barrero shared the starting shortstop role before Matt McLain’s promotion in mid-May, as Barrero was ultimately sent to the minors and Newman became a pure utilityman.  Newman made some starts at second base and third baseman, but even that playing time dwindled as more and more of Cincinnati’s star infield prospects gradually made their way to the Show.

This is Newman’s second IL stint of the year, after he missed a 10-day minimum in July dealing with gastritis.  Heading into the trade deadline, Newman was seen as a potential or even likely trade chip given the Reds’ increasingly crowded infield picture, yet Cincinnati either couldn’t find an appropriate deal or simply opted to hang onto the veteran as an experienced depth option.  Rather than a trade, this oblique injury has now unfortunately taken Newman out of the picture for at least the next 10 days.

Manager David Bell provided the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith (X link) and other reporters with updates on other injured Reds players, including the news that Jonathan India will undergo another MRI on Thursday.  Since a previous MRI revealed a worsened tear in India’s plantar fascia, the second baseman was already expected to be out of action until at least a week into September, with some question as to whether or not India would be able to return at all this season.

The next MRI comes a few days before the end of India’s planned two-week shutdown from running, so the test will reveal if the tear has continued to widen, or if the shutdown has been effective in at least limiting the damage.  It seems likely that India will require some type of procedure to address his plantar fasciitis, though he and the Reds hope that any surgery might be able to be held off until the offseason.

Bell also said that Ben Lively will make another rehab outing before the club considers reinstating him from the 15-day IL.  Lively has twice been sidelined due to right pectoral strains this season, with his most recent absence starting with his IL placement on August 2.  With his 15 days now up, Lively is eligible to be activated at any time, though he has thrown only 5 2/3 combined innings over two previous rehab starts, with an ungainly 15.88 ERA.

The injuries to India and Newman have provided an unwelcome answer to Cincinnati’s potential infield surplus, as there is now plenty of room for the Reds to find playing time for their up-and-comers.  Bell said that Marte will be the regular third baseman, with Spencer Steer now moving into more regular work in left field.  Steer has already seen a good deal of left field time this season, as his versatility has been almost as useful to the Reds as his potent bat.  Steer has bounced between left field, first base, and third base, and also even picked up a few appearances as a second baseman.

Jake Fraley is another Reds player looking to return from the IL before 2023 is over, though Fraley told Goldsmith that he’ll need offseason surgery to properly fix a fracture in his left foot and a cracked fourth metatarsal.  Fraley was presented with the option of undergoing the season-ending procedure now, but he is instead trying to tough it out, ramping up his baseball activities to include a live batting practice today and an increased running program.

There’s certainly some real risk for Fraley, as he said that doctors told him that playing on the fractured foot could result in a clear break.  However, “the reason why they’re ok with me playing through this is that even if I do something like that, which would be a worst case scenario, it doesn’t change the recovery time of the surgery,” Fraley said, noting that he is expected to be ready for the start of Spring Training.  Fraley is willing to gamble further injury in order to be part of the Reds’ playoff push, saying “if you tell me there’s a 1% chance with a cool team like this, I’m going all-in.”

Reds Place Jake Fraley On 10-Day Injured List

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2:58PM: Reds manager David Bell spoke with The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith and other reporters about Fraley’s injury, saying a play in Thursday’s game “re-aggravated” the issue and “pushed him to a point where it’s a different type of pain.”  In terms of when the outfielder might be back, “we still haven’t pinpointed a time frame, which is actually good.  He’s still trying to get all the information.  In [Fraley’s] mind, he’s trying to get back in a few weeks, which is great.  That’s how I’m going to think about it.”

10:10AM: The Reds placed outfielder Jake Fraley on the 10-day injured list due to a stress fracture in his left fourth toe.  The club also announced that outfielder TJ Hopkins was called up from Triple-A, and that right-hander Lyon Richardson was added to the taxi squad in advance of his planned start on Sunday.

The IL placement is retroactive to August 4, as Fraley didn’t play in Cincinnati’s 6-3 loss to Washington yesterday.  The nature and severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but it would certainly seem like Fraley will miss well beyond 10 days, leaving a notable hole in the Reds lineup.  This is the second straight year that Fraley has been sidelined by a toe injury, as while rehabbing a knee injury in 2022, his time on the IL was extended due to a toe issue suffered during rehab.

Between the injuries and the fact that the Reds use Fraley almost exclusively against right-handed pitching, he has played in only 160 games since Cincinnati acquired the outfielder as part of the Eugenio Suarez/Jesse Winker trade with the Mariners in March 2022.  When he has been able to play, however, Fraley has been a productive bat, hitting .261/.345/.467 with 27 homers over 574 plate appearances — that works out to a 116 wRC+ over essentially the equivalent of one full season.  Playing both corner outfield positions, Fraley has been a very useful platoon option for the Reds to mix and match in their outfield.

Hopkins has a .367 OPS over 25 PA in his rookie season, plus as a right-handed bat, he’s an imperfect fill-in option for Fraley’s specific role.  Nick Senzel and Stuart Fairchild (also right-handed hitters) figure to get more playing time in Fraley’s absence, or the Reds could continue to give Spencer Steer regular looks in left field.

As much as the Reds’ influx of young talent was seemingly going to create a crunch for playing time, injuries have now provided an unfortunate solution to that issue.  Fraley joins Jonathan India on the 10-day IL, and while India was at least hopeful of a quick return, Cincinnati is now missing two experienced bats in the midst of a playoff race.  The Reds are on a four-game losing streak, and are 9-12 since the All-Star break.

NL Central Notes: Stroman, Taylor, Reds

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Starting pitcher Marcus Stroman has repeatedly stressed his desire to sign a long-term extension with the Cubs, even as he could reach free agency after this season on the heels of a career year. Stroman, who can opt-out of the final one year and $21MM left on his contract at season’s end, has posted a sensational 2.42 ERA (184 ERA+) through 14 starts with a 21.7% strikeout rate that would be the best of his career over a full season while also managing a fantastic 61% groundball rate. Those fantastic numbers figure to make Stroman a worthy addition to any rotation, but Chicago seems uninterested in getting a deal done at the moment. As Stroman himself relayed on Twitter that both he and his agent have made “multiple attempts” to engage the club’s front office in extension negotiations, but the Cubs were uninterested in exploring a deal for the time being.

In a conversation with The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney, Stroman elaborated further on the situation, telling Mooney that “We’ve been going to the front office from spring training, very open that I want to be here. We’ve continued those thoughts. Up until now, there’s been nothing from their side. No offers, no talks, really, at all.” Stroman goes on to make clear that there isn’t tension between him and the front office, despite the fact that his camp’s desire for negotiations having been largely rebuffed to this point.

It’s possible that the club’s hesitance has to do with their position in the standings. The club is 28-36, good for fourth place in the NL Central and 5.5 games out of a playoff spot. While their weak division does provide them some semblance of hope for contention, it’s nonetheless easy to imagine the Cubs selling for the third straight deadline. If they opted to go down that path, Stroman would likely be their most attractive trade piece. In fact, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic recently identified Stroman as an ideal fit for the Giants as trade season approaches, while noting that San Francisco actually finished second in free agent bidding for Stroman’s services when he signed his current three-year, $71MM deal with Chicago prior to the 2022 campaign.

More from around the NL Central…

  • Brewers outfielder Tyrone Taylor is set to receive a cortisone shot in his right elbow, manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.) Counsell noted that the injection comes after Taylor received multiple opinions on the elbow sprain that’s kept him on the shelf for the past two weeks. After posting a 106 wRC+ in 250 career games headed into the 2023 campaign, it’s been a brutal season for Taylor, who has slashed just .160/.179/.240 (8 wRC+) while being limited to just 27 games due to the ongoing elbow issues. With Taylor on the shelf, the club has Blake Perkins backing up an outfield trio of Christian Yelich, Joey Wiemer, and Brian Anderson.
  • The Reds are still without their usual starting outfield, even after activating center fielder TJ Friedl from the 10-day injured list yesterrday, as left fielder Jake Fraley was placed on the shelf with a right wrist contusion in a corresponding move. While Friedl is enjoying a career season, with a .315/.365/.479 slash line in 43 games this year, the club is sure to miss the contributions of Fraley nonetheless, who has posted a wRC+ of 114 in 123 games since joining the club prior to the 2022 season. With Fraley on the shelf, the Reds figure to use the likes of Stuart Fairchild and Will Benson in the outfield corners.

The Reds’ Numerous Outfield Possibilities

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The Reds go into the 2023 campaign looking at another evaluation year. Cincinnati is coming off a 100-loss season and didn’t make many immediate upgrades over the winter. It’ll be a non-competitive season, one that sees a number of unproven players look to carve out longer-term roles.

No area of the roster is more wide open than the outfield. Cincinnati has eight outfielders on their 40-man roster. Of that group, only offseason signee Wil Myers has a lengthy big league track record. Myers had some ups and downs as a member of the Padres, showcasing strong power potential at times but undercutting it with lofty strikeout totals at others. Signed to a one-year, $7.5MM deal, he’ll surely receive regular playing time either in the corner outfield or at first base. The franchise will hope he’ll hit well enough to draw some attention from contenders at the trade deadline.

Everyone else in the Cincinnati outfield is hoping to earn a consistent spot in the lineup. It’s a similar group to that of the rebuilding Athletics — one that has a glut of upper level options but very little in the way of established big league production.

Jake Fraley, 27, two minor league options remaining

Fraley is probably the favorite for regular reps among the group of unproven players. Acquired from the Mariners in last spring’s Eugenio Suarez/Jesse Winker deal, Fraley put up an impressive .259/.344/.468 line with 12 home runs over his first 247 plate appearances as a Red. Most of that work came in the season’s second half, as he lost a good portion of the beginning of the year to right knee issues.

The lefty-swinging Fraley also posted solid offensive marks in a limited role in Seattle the previous year. He carries a .235/.348/.419 line with 21 homers and 16 doubles in 145 games over the past couple seasons. He doesn’t hit the ball especially hard but makes contact at a decent clip and has an extremely patient offensive approach. Fraley has limited experience in center and right field (rating poorly at both stops); he’s gotten solid reviews from public defensive metrics for his left field glovework.

Nick Senzel, 27, three options remaining

A former #2 overall pick, Senzel was a consensus top prospect before reaching the majors in 2019. He hasn’t met those expectations thus far, struggling to a .240/.303/.360 line in 1036 career plate appearances. A natural third baseman, Senzel moved primarily to center field at the MLB level and has gotten middling to well below-average reviews for his glove from various metrics.

Senzel has shown above-average contact skills at the big league level, though he hasn’t made much of a power impact. Despite his early-career struggles, the Reds have maintained throughout the offseason they plan to give him another crack at seizing the center field job. It feels like a make-or-break season, with Senzel now into his arbitration seasons and having performed below replacement level thus far.

The Reds are obviously still hopeful he can take a long-awaited step forward. He’ll first need to get healthy. Senzel underwent surgery to repair a fractured toe over the offseason. Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote this afternoon that he’s begun swinging a bat in simulated games at the team’s spring complex. He has yet to progress to full speed running.

TJ Friedl, 27, two options remaining

Friedl has been one of the more interesting outfielders in the Cincinnati farm system for a few seasons. He got a brief big league look late in 2021 and received his first extended action last season. In 258 plate appearances across 72 games, he hit at a league average clip: .240/.314/.436 with eight home runs, a modest 7.8% walk percentage and a tiny 15.5% strikeout rate.

The left-handed hitter had more resounding success over a similar stretch of time for Triple-A Louisville. Friedl posted a .278/.371/.468 line with eight homers, an 11.6% walk rate and a 19.9% strikeout percentage over 241 trips with the Bats. That mostly aligns with his longstanding prospect reputation. Friedl doesn’t have much power but he has a solid feel for the strike zone and puts the ball in play with regularity. He can play all three outfield positions, though advanced metrics weren’t enthused with his first MLB work on the grass. Friedl has typically been regarded by prospect evaluators as a high-probability fourth/fifth outfielder. The upcoming campaign could be his best opportunity to outperform that expectation.

Will Benson, 24, three options remaining

Benson, acquired from the Guardians last month, has a polar opposite approach from Friedl. He’s also a left-handed batter but boasts huge power upside with a long track record of lofty strikeout totals. A former first-round draftee whose prospect shine had dimmed, Benson put himself back on the map with arguably a career-best season last year.

In 89 games with Cleveland’s top minor league affiliate, he hit .278/.426/.522 with 17 home runs. Benson walked a massive 18.7% clip — par for the course throughout his career — and struck out in an average 22.7% of his trips. It was the first time he’d posted a strikeout rate below 28% at any stop and only his second season fanning in fewer than 30% of his PA’s. Benson didn’t produce in a 28-game MLB cameo and was still buried on Cleveland’s outfield depth chart, but his step forward intrigued the Reds enough to take a look. He’s best suited for right field and can cover center on occasion.

Nick Solak, 28, one option remaining

Another one-time top prospect, Solak has had some inconsistent performances the past few years with the Rangers. He had an excellent 33-game debut in 2019. Since the start of 2020, however, the righty-swinging Solak carries a modest .246/.317/.354 line in 839 MLB plate appearances. Longstanding concerns about his defense at second base eventually pushed him to left field, where he has gotten subpar grades from public statistics.

To his credit, Solak hasn’t allowed his MLB inconsistency to bleed into his performance in the minor leagues. Optioned to Triple-A by Texas last season, he put up an impressive .278/.371/.489 mark with 10 longballs, an 11.6% walk rate and a 19.7% strikeout percentage in 57 contests. The Rangers never seemed to trust him enough to give him an extended look despite woeful MLB production from their left fielders, though. Texas dealt him to Cincinnati for cash immediately after the season ended.

Michael Siani, 23, three options remaining

A former fourth-round pick, Siani has spent the past few seasons ranked among the middle tiers of the Cincinnati farm system. Praised for his speed and defensive acumen in center field, he went 49 for 61 as a basestealer over 121 Double-A games last year. His overall .252/.351/.404 line with 12 home runs at that level was solid if unexceptional for a 22-year-old. Siani earned cups of coffee in both Louisville and Cincinnati towards the end of the season.

It stands to reason Cincinnati will start Siani back in Triple-A given his lack of experience there. Baseball America ranked him the organization’s #19 prospect this winter, projecting him as a glove-first fourth outfielder.

Stuart Fairchild, 26, one option remaining

A former Cincinnati second-round pick, Fairchild was dealt to the Diamondbacks at the 2020 trade deadline. He made his MLB debut with Arizona the following season, getting into 12 games. The Wake Forest product bounced around via minor trade and waivers last year, playing in four different organizations. He finished the season back with his original club when the Reds nabbed him off waivers from the Giants in June.

Fairchild played in 38 games for Cincinnati, connecting on five home runs in 99 trips. He struck out 29 times while drawing only eight walks but showed intriguing power. That was also the case in Triple-A, where he combined for a .258/.353/.490 line in 53 contests despite the constant uniform changes. He’s capable of playing all three outfield positions.

Chad Pinder, 30, not on 40-man roster

Pinder, a longtime member of the Athletics, signed a non-roster pact with a major league Spring Training invitation this winter. He’s coming off a .235/.263/.385 showing in 111 games for Oakland. The right-handed hitting Pinder has some power and a decent track record of hitting lefty pitching. He’s versatile enough to cover anywhere on the infield in addition to his corner outfield work. Pinder seems to have a strong chance at securing a bench role given that flexibility and Cincinnati’s fairly left-handed outfield mix. As a major league free agent who signed a minor league contract, he’ll have an automatic opt-out opportunity five days before the start of the regular season if he’s not added to the MLB roster.

Overall

Aside from Pinder, former highly-regarded prospect Allan Cerda and KBO veteran Henry Ramos are also in camp on non-roster contracts. Neither looks to have a strong chance at cracking the Opening Day roster considering the number of alternative outfield options for the front office and coaching staff to evaluate.

Myers is the only member of the current group who can’t be sent to the minor leagues, although Pinder couldn’t be optioned if he cracks the MLB roster. That could set the stage for plenty of shuffling over the next six months. The organization is surely hoping two or three players from the group will cement themselves as everyday options based on their 2023 production, lending some clarity to the longer-term mix.

Minor MLB Transactions: Fraley, Blankenhorn

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Catching up on some minor moves around the game:

  • The Reds reinstated outfielder Jake Fraley from the 60-day injured list before tonight’s contest against the Orioles. He assumed the roster spot vacated last night when Cincinnati traded Tyler Naquin to the Mets. Fraley, picked up from the Mariners as part of the Spring Training deal that sent Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suárez to Seattle, has been limited to just 15 games in Cincinnati thus far. The 27-year-old has lost much of the season battling knee and toe injuries. Fraley hit .210/.352/.369 in 265 plate appearances with Seattle last season, and the likelihood of an upcoming Tommy Pham trade should clear playing time in the corner outfield down the stretch.
  • Mets infielder Travis Blankenhorn cleared outright waivers, according to his transactions log at MLB.com. New York had designated the left-handed hitter for assignment earlier this week, after he’d made just one appearances. Blankenhorn has now reached the big leagues in each of the last three years, but he has only 31 plate appearances to his name. Having been outrighted before in his career, he had the right to refuse an assignment in favor of free agency. He played with Triple-A Syracuse last night, however, indicating he’s accepted the assignment and will try to play his way back to the majors in Queens.
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