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Ty France Elects Free Agency

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The Reds announced a series of roster moves Friday, most notably revealing that first baseman Ty France cleared waivers and elected free agency. He would’ve been arbitration-eligible and was projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $8.6MM in his final season of club control. Today’s outright and subsequent free agency election is effectively an early non-tender.

Cincinnati also passed catcher Austin Wynns, righty Tejay Antone and outfielder Nick Martini through waivers unclaimed. Like France, Wynns and Martini opted for free agency. Antone accepted an outright assignment and will remain with the club and continue mending from the third elbow surgery of his career.

France, 30, was an offensive force for his first three years with the Mariners from 2020-22, hitting a combined .285/.355/.443 with 42 homers, 68 doubles and three triples in 1418 plate appearances. He rarely struck out (16.7%), hit plenty of line drives and, after spending much of his minor league career playing other positions, worked his way into becoming an above-average defender at first base.

The 2023 season was a step back in all regards. France’s batting line slipped to .250/.337/.366 — still respectable but nowhere near his prior levels, particularly in the power department. His production dwindled further this year, and the Mariners designated him for assignment after he mustered only a .223/.312/.350 line in 88 games. The Reds swung a trade to acquire France in hope that a change of scenery would improve his output. France’s rate stats modestly improved, but not to the extent that one might hope when going from the league’s most pitcher-friendly stadium in Seattle to its most homer-happy park in Cincinnati. He finished the year at .234/.305/.365 between the two clubs.

France will now head to the free-agent market for the first time but do so coming off a sub-optimal platform spanning two years of struggles. He’ll likely be limited to one-year offers and guarantees well shy of the $8.6MM he’d been projected to earn in arbitration.

Wynns, 33, is the consummate journeyman backup catcher. He’s a career .230/.277/.332 hitter in 673 plate appearances split among five big league teams. He’s been with six different organization since the Orioles selected him in the tenth round of the 2013 draft. Wynns is regarded as a sound defender but has never provided much from an offensive standpoint.

Martini, 34, cracked the Reds’ Opening Day roster and belted a pair of homers in their first game of the season. It was downhill from there, however. He hit just .204/.266/.324 over his next 159 plate appearances before suffering a sprained thumb that ended his season in early July. Martini is a career .294/.399/.454 hitter in parts of eight Triple-A seasons and a .252/.336/.400 hitter in 575 big league plate appearances.

Reds Claim Liván Soto From Orioles

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The Reds have claimed infielder Liván Soto off waivers from the Orioles, per announcements from both clubs. The O’s had recently designated him for assignment. The Reds transferred Tejay Antone to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move and optioned Soto to Triple-A Louisville. The O’s also announced that catcher David Bañuelos, also recently designated for assignment, has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk.

Soto, 24 in June, has been riding the roster carousel all year. He began the year with the Angels but went to the Orioles via waivers in February. The Angels claimed him right back shortly thereafter but the O’s claimed him a second time last week. But when Tyler Wells suddenly developed some elbow inflammation earlier this week and the O’s didn’t have time to get a fresh arm from the minors, they added Bañuelos, who was already on hand as part of the taxi squad. But doing so required bumping Soto off his roster spot yet again.

He continues to garner interest based on his speed and defensive versatility. He has racked up a decent number of steals in the minors while playing the three infield positions to the left of first base, as well as a very brief stint in the outfield.

Offensively, he’s hit .375/.414/.531 in his major league career, though in a tiny sample of 71 plate appearances. His larger body of work in the minors hasn’t been as impressive, as he’s hit .246/.340/.355 for a wRC+ of 86 in 1,505 plate appearances since the start of 2021. Nonetheless, the defense and speed are attractive, especially since he has two options and doesn’t require an active roster spot.

The Reds came into this year with a surplus of infield talent, so much so that Spencer Steer and Jonathan India were seemingly ticketed for either outfield work or multi-positional roles. However, Noelvi Marté was given an 80-game PED suspension and then Matt McLain required shoulder surgery, subtracting two of their planned everyday options. The club acquired Santiago Espinal for a bit of extra infield depth and now Soto can give them a bit more.

The Reds effectively had a roster spot to burn since Antone required season-ending surgery last week. That made him destined to be transferred to the 60-day IL at some point, which has now come to pass and allowed the club to add Soto to the system.

As for Bañuelos, as mentioned, he was hastily added to the O’s roster when they had an open spot and he was already with the club. They put him into the game late, allowing him to make his major league debut when he hit for Colton Cowser and flied out. Bañuelos described it as “one of the coolest moments of my life,” though the O’s designated him for assignment the next day. Now that he’s cleared waivers, he will return to his previous role, providing the O’s with non-roster depth in the catching position.

Reds’ Tejay Antone To Undergo Elbow Surgery

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The Reds announced Monday that right-handed reliever Tejay Antone has been placed on the 15-day injured list. Righty Carson Spiers has been recalled from Triple-A to take his spot on the roster. While Cincinnati initially announced the injury as “elbow inflammation,” manager David Bell now tells the Reds beat that Antone tore a tendon completely off the bone and suffered a partial ligament tear in his right elbow (X link via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com). He’ll undergo surgery Friday. It’s a brutal setback for Antone, who previously had Tommy John surgery both in 2017 and again in 2021.

The surgery will unsurprisingly end Antone’s season. However, despite the slew of elbow troubles that have plagued him throughout his career, Antone’s intention is to continue pitching once he’s again navigated a lengthy and arduous rehab process, tweets Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

It’s hard not to feel for Antone, who was quietly one of baseball’s best relievers in 2020-21 before this latest batch of arm troubles surfaced. He pitched 69 innings across those two seasons and recorded a pristine 2.48 ERA with a huge 32.3% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate. Antone averaged 97 mph on his heater and induced swinging strikes at a hearty 13% clip along the way. His 48% ground-ball rate was well north of the league average. It was a brief peak, but it’s easy to see how the Reds felt that Antone could be a major part of their bullpen based on those first 36 appearances of his career.

Antone didn’t pitch in 2022 and got back on a big league mound for only 5 2/3 innings last season. He tossed 9 2/3 spring frames and another two regular-season innings in 2024 before the injury. Since making it back from his last Tommy John procedure, Antone has averaged a diminished 94.2 mph on his fastball.

Remarkably, Antone will finish the current season with five years of major league service time despite only having pitched 76 2/3 big league innings. It’s possible that this latest injury spells the end of Antone’s time with the Reds. It won’t cost much to retain him via arbitration this offseason, as he pitched just two innings on an $830K salary this year. Whether the Reds tender him a contract will depend on how much of the 2025 season he’s expected to miss.

Even if they want to free up his 40-man roster spot over the winter, however, the Reds could non-tender Antone in November and quickly re-sign him to a new minor league deal so he can continue rehabbing in a familiar setting. For now, the focus will be on fixing the damage in his elbow and working through the early phases of the rehab grind. He’ll surely have not just Reds fans throughout the sport in his corner, given the admirable level of perseverance he’s displayed as he continues working through his elbow problems.

Tejay Antone To Undergo MRI For Elbow Problem

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Right-hander Tejay Antone threw just one pitch before leaving with an injury in today’s 3-1 Reds loss to the Mets.  Antone entered for a relief appearance in the sixth inning, but after his opening pitch to Tyrone Taylor, Antone stepped off the mound and was in visible discomfort.  After the game, Reds manager David Bell told reporters (including Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that Antone will get an MRI to evaluate the soreness in his right elbow.

Given Antone’s checkered injury history, the best-case scenario here would be a 15-day stint on the injured list, as the Reds might be cautious even if the MRI comes back clean.  However, it looks like Antone might be facing yet another notable injury in a career marked by significant health problems.

Antone has two Tommy John surgeries on his record — one in 2017 while on the way up the ladder in Cincinnati’s farm system, and the other in August 2021.  The rehab process for the latter procedure sidelined Antone for the entirety of the 2022 season, and he then hit another roadblock with a flexor strain in February 2023.  While he avoided another surgery, Antone didn’t return to big league action until last September, and he made only five appearances before hitting the IL again due to elbow discomfort.

Antone looked like a promising relief weapon in his first two big league seasons, posting a 2.48 ERA in 69 innings in 2020-21.  Powered with a mid-90s fastball, a plus curveball, and a ton of spin on both pitches, Antone struck out 32.3% of batters and posted a 48% grounder rate.  Since Opening Day 2022, however, Antone has thrown only 7 2/3 innings at the MLB level, and it remains to be seen if his arm can hold up long enough for the righty to deliver on his early-career promise.

The Reds have already been hit hard by bullpen injuries, as Sam Moll, Ian Gibaut, and Alex Young all began the season on the 15-day IL.  Moll and Gibaut have at least started rehab outings and are on track to be back before the end of April, but if Antone is now going to be sidelined, that will leave Cincinnati further short-handed in the relief corps.

NL Central Notes: Reds, Cubs, Taylor

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Reds manager David Bell told reporters (including Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that outfielder Harrison Bader won’t return to the field this year, and that the odds of right-hander Tejay Antone making it back before 2024 are “remote.” While both players were already known to be out for the remainder of the regular season due to their recent placements on the injured list, Bell’s comments pour cold water on hopes of either player making an impact for Cincinnati this postseason in the event the Reds are able to claim one of the NL Wild Card spots. Pending the end of tonight’s game against Pittsburgh, the Reds currently sit two games behind the Cubs for the final NL Wild Card spot. The club is also one game back of the Marlins, the top NL club currently outside the postseason picture.

Antone made just five appearances out of the bullpen for the Reds this year due to injuries, but was dominant in that limited action with a 1.59 ERA and a 33.3% strikeout rate in 5 2/3 innings of work. Given the right-hander’s strong track record in Cincinnati when healthy, he figures to feature prominently in the club’s plans next year even in the event he doesn’t return this season.

The same can’t be said for Bader, a pending free agent who joined the Reds after being placed on waivers by the Yankees at the end of August. Bader had struggled with the bat in New York, slashing just .240/.278/.365 in 84 games with the club, but more than made up for it with his superlative glovework in center field. Unfortunately, his time in Cincinnati saw his work with the bat deteriorate even more as he posted a brutal .161/.235/.194 slash line in 14 games that was good for a wRC+ of just 15. That said, between his strong defense in center field and a much more promising career wRC+ of 92, Bader figures to hit free agency after the season with a chance to land a healthy contract.

Today’s injury news for the Reds isn’t all bad, however. Rookie infielder Matt McLain, who went on the injured list with an oblique strain nearly a month ago, is on the verge of returning per MLB.com. As discussed by Bell, McLain is headed for a rehab assignment at the Triple-A level and figures to play two games there before returning to the major league club, with Tuesday’s game against the Guardians standing as the club’s current target for McLain’s return. Assuming he’s fully healthy, McLain should bolster the club’s lineup in a big way given his .290/.357/.507 slash line in 403 trips to the plate this year.

More from the NL Central…

  • Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman made his first start since July this afternoon, taking the ball against the Rockies at Wrigley Field. Stroman was activated from the injured list earlier this month to join the club’s bullpen and did well in that role, striking out four while allowing only an unearned run on two hits and a walk in three innings of work. Stroman’s return to the rotation left right-hander Javier Assad as the odd man out in the club’s starting plans. That being said, with Stroman not yet fully built up to a starter’s workload, Assad took the ball in relief of the veteran for four scoreless innings today, lowering the youngster’s ERA to 2.88 on the season. With Stroman back in the rotation, Assad figures to be a valuable multi-inning weapon for the Cubs out of the bullpen down the stretch. Chicago has plenty of high leverage opportunities available with Adbert Alzolay, Michael Fulmer, and Brad Boxberger all currently on the injured list.
  • Brewers outfielder Tyrone Taylor hasn’t played since Wednesday and was once again held out of the lineup today, with manager Craig Counsell indicating to MLB.com that the 29-year-old was dealing with some hamstring tightness. The club has decided to act cautiously rather than risk losing Taylor to an injury that could keep him out of the postseason, though Counsell added that he hopes Taylor will be able to return to the lineup for tomorrow’s game against the Marlins. Taylor was ice cold to start the year, resulting in a lackluster season slash line of just .233/.270/.408 in 210 plate appearances, but he’s been one of Milwaukee’s strongest offensive contributors since the start of August with a scorching hot .291/.341/.581 slash line including 11 doubles, a triple, and seven homers in 126 trips to the plate. Blake Perkins has gotten additional reps in the outfield in recent days with Taylor temporarily shelved.

Reds Place Tejay Antone On Injured List, Select Carson Spiers

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The Reds announced Thursday morning that they’ve placed right-hander Tejay Antone on the 15-day injured list due to discomfort in his right elbow. Cincinnati also reinstated righty Ben Lively from the Covid-related injured list and selected the contract of right-hander Carson Spiers from Double-A Chattanooga. Right-hander Connor Phillips who’d been up as a Covid-related replacement player, has been returned to Triple-A Louisville.

Antone, 29, only just returned from a two-year absence stemming from Tommy John surgery earlier this month. He’s pitched 5 2/3 effective innings, but the right-hander left last night’s game with a trainer after experiencing discomfort in that surgically repaired  elbow. While Antone downplayed the issue to an extent after the game, it seems the Reds have deemed a pause on his throwing is needed. There’s still technically enough time remaining on the schedule for Antone to return to the mound in the final three games of the season, but given the timing of the IL placement and minimal days left on the schedule, it’s possible his season will be over.

A healthy Antone is one of the most underrated relievers in the game. He’s only appeared in parts of three big league seasons, thanks largely to those health troubles, but in 74 2/3 innings dating back to 2020, the righty boasts a 2.41 ERA, 32.4% strikeout rate and 49.4% ground-ball rate. Antone has been a bit wild, walking 10.7% of his opponents in his young career, but the results are impressive all the same. The obvious hope for any player following an IL placement is that a major injury can be avoided, but it’d be particularly disheartening to learn of anything severe for Antone after he only just completed a two-year grind back to a Major League mound.

As for the 25-year-old Spiers, he’s already made his big league debut, allowing seven runs in seven innings between two appearances earlier this month. However, he was only on the roster as a Covid-related substitute player and was returned to Triple-A on Sunday. That process didn’t require him to be optioned or passed through waivers. Now, he’s been formally selected to the Major League roster, meaning he’ll be subject to standard option rules moving forward.

Aside from his brief MLB look earlier this month, Spiers has spent the entire season in Double-A. An undrafted signee out of Clemson following the shortened 2020 draft, he’s pitched 83 innings of 3.69 ERA ball with the Reds’ Chattanooga affiliate, whiffing 29.2% of his opponents against an 11.3% walk rate.

Lively, 31, hasn’t pitched in a game since Aug. 26. The right-hander enjoyed a solid three-year run in the Korea Baseball Organization from 2019-21 before returning to affiliated ball on a minor league deal with the Reds for the 2022 season. He re-upped with Cincinnati over the most recent offseason and this year reached the Majors for the first time since throwing one lone inning with the 2019 Royals. He’s pitched in 15 games (12 starts) for the Reds and eaten up 76 2/3 innings, albeit with a lackluster 5.17 ERA. To his credit, that number is skewed by one objectively calamitous start, wherein the Reds left Lively out there to take a 13-run beating in four innings against the Cubs. Lively has a 3.83 ERA in his other 14 appearances.

Reds Designate Alan Busenitz For Assignment, Reinstate Tejay Antone

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The Reds announced a batch of moves between games of today’s double-header. Right-hander Tejay Antone was reinstated from the 60-day injured list, righty Lyon Richardson was recalled and righty Carson Spiers has been added as a substitute player. Righties Fernando Cruz, Hunter Greene and Ben Lively were placed on the COVID-19 injured list, while outfielder TJ Hopkins was optioned to Triple-A Louisville. Right-hander Alan Busenitz was designated for assignment and righty Tony Santillan cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Louisville.

Antone is back on the MLB roster for the first time in over two years. The reliever was amidst a breakout 2021 showing, emerging as Cincinnati’s closer late in the season after throwing 33 2/3 innings of 2.14 ERA ball, before his UCL gave out. He underwent Tommy John surgery — the second of his career — and spent all of 2022 rehabbing.

The Reds expressed hope Antone would return by the start of the ’23 campaign. He suffered a setback over the offseason, announcing in February that he’d been diagnosed with a flexor strain. It didn’t require surgery but has cost him the first five months of the season.

Antone has been on a rehab stint since late July. He pitched twice at the club’s complex before heading to Triple-A Louisville for 12 appearances. He was solid if unexceptional for the Bats, turning in 12 innings of four-run ball while striking out 11 and walking five.

It’d be a lot to ask of Antone to immediately rediscover his 2021 form. Yet even average output would be welcome for a Cincinnati relief corps that ranks 15th with a 3.96 ERA and 25th with a 22.5% strikeout rate. The bullpen hasn’t been as catastrophic as it had been for the past two seasons, but it’s still a relative weak point on an offense-first Reds’ roster.

Spiers, 25, also steps into the relief corps, in his case for the first time. The Clemson product is in position to make his major league debut after turning in a 3.69 ERA through 83 innings as a swing option for Double-A Chattanooga. He’s striking out nearly 30% of opposing hitters against an elevated 11.3% walk rate.

Players designated as COVID substitutes are temporarily added to the roster. Spiers won’t assume a permanent spot on the 40-man roster and can be sent back to the minors without first clearing waivers. He’ll help cover for the trio of pitchers affected by an apparent virus spread in the clubhouse.

Busenitz will hit waivers in the next few days. The right-hander has been on and off the big league roster a few times since his contract was selected in mid-May. Busenitz has pitched just five times at the MLB level, allowing two runs in five innings during his first big league work since 2018. Over 43 frames with Louisville, he owns a 4.53 ERA with slightly worse than average strikeout and walk numbers.

Santillan clears waivers after being designated for assignment a few days ago. It’s his first career outright and he has less than three years of MLB service, so he’ll stick in the organization at Triple-A. If the Reds don’t add him back to the 40-man roster by the end of the season, he’d reach minor league free agency.

Reds’ Reiver Sanmartin Undergoes UCL Surgery

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Reds reliever Reiver Sanmartin underwent surgery to repair his UCL earlier this month, the team informed reporters (including C. Trent Rosecrans of the Athletic). It isn’t clear if he underwent a full Tommy John procedure or something like the modified internal brace surgery, but it appears as if his season is over.

Sanmartin is already on the 60-day injured list. He landed on the shelf at the start of May with a stress reaction in his elbow. Apparently, there was also ligament damage that needed to be corrected. Assuming he’s done for the season, he’ll remain on the 60-day IL through year’s end.

The 27-year-old has pitched in parts of three seasons with Cincinnati. He owns a 5.77 ERA through 82 2/3 career frames. Sanmartin has induced grounders at a lofty 53.5% clip but posted worse than average strikeout and walk numbers. He’s controllable through 2028, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if Cincinnati waived him at the start of the offseason rather than carry him on the 40-man roster throughout the winter.

The Reds provided updates on a few other injured pitchers (via Rosecrans). Hunter Greene will begin a minor league rehab stint next weekend; the club hopes he’ll be ready for the majors by August 20. Nick Lodolo is targeting an MLB return at the end of next month, beginning a rehab stint at a similar time as Greene. Vladimir Gutierrez and Tejay Antone are each beginning rehab work of their own after missing the entire season to date.

Reds Designate Nick Solak For Assignment

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The Reds announced a series of roster moves prior to today’s season opener. They have selected the contracts of right-hander Derek Law, left-hander Alex Young and infielder Jason Vosler. To open places on the 40-man roster, right-handers Tejay Antone and Justin Dunn were placed on the 60-day injured list, while infielder/outfielder Nick Solak was designated for assignment. Additionally, infielder/outfielder Nick Senzel and first baseman Joey Votto were placed on the 10-day injured list while right-handers Tony Santillan, Lucas Sims and Luke Weaver were placed on the 15-day injured list.

Solak, 28, was once a highly-touted prospect who had a strong debut with the Rangers in 2019. He hit .293/.393/.491 that year in 33 games but has struggled since and now carries a career batting line of .252/.327/.372. That amounts to a wRC+ of 93, indicating he’s been about 7% below league average. Concerns about his second base defense also pushed him into the outfield corners, putting more pressure on his bat to provide value. He was traded to the Reds in November but had a rough spring, getting just two hits in 24 plate appearances. Despite his rough showing of late, he might get a shot elsewhere based on his prospect pedigree. He also still has an option remaining and can be stashed in the minors by any team willing to give him a 40-man roster spot.

Young, 29, spent most of last year with the Giants, posting a 2.36 ERA over 25 appearances with an 18.1% strikeout rate, 9.5% walk rate and 54.2% ground ball rate. Despite that solid campaign, he was non-tendered at season’s end and landed a minor league deal with the Reds. He’ll give the club a second lefty in the bullpen alongside Reiver Sanmartin. The right-handed Law will also join that bullpen, which was reported earlier this week.

Vosler, 29, got into 77 games with the Giants over the past two seasons, hitting .228/.306/.421 for a wRC+ of 100. Like Young, he was also non-tendered by the Giants and got a minor league deal from the Reds. He’s played all four infield positions in his career, as well as the outfield corners, giving Cincinnati a versatile player to plug in around their younger players as needed.

Turning to the IL placements, none of them are particularly surprising. Dunn has a shoulder injury that will keep him out of action for a couple of months. Antone has a flexor strain in his forearm that may keep him out until the All-Star break. Votto is still recovering from last year’s shoulder surgery, Weaver is battling forearm discomfort, while Santillan and Sims are dealing with lingering back issues.

Reds Notes: Antone, Santillan, Senzel

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Reds reliever Tejay Antone announced last week he’d miss the start of the season after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection to address a flexor strain in his forearm. He didn’t provide many more specifics but implied he could be sidelined by the All-Star Break. While that’s potentially still on the table, manager David Bell only indicated today that Antone would be out at least through the end of April (via Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer).

Antone’s coming off a lost 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery towards the tail end of the ’21 campaign. That was the second such procedure of his career, with injuries conspiring to rob the Reds of arguably their best reliever. Before his surgery, the former fifth-round draftee had pitched 33 2/3 innings of 2.14 ERA ball with a 32.8% strikeout rate.

Getting him back as quickly as possible will be crucial for a Cincinnati club that didn’t make any MLB additions to its bullpen this offseason. The Reds’ relief corps was a bottom ten unit by both ERA and strikeout/walk rate differential last season. The expected returns of Antone and Lucas Sims from surgery rehabs would’ve reinstalled a pair of high-leverage options. Sims is on track for full spring participation, Bell informed reporters today, but Antone’s loss subtracts one of the highest-upside hurlers from the mix.

Cincinnati might also be without Tony Santillan to start the season, Bell indicated. The 6’3″ righty didn’t pitch in last year’s second half on account of a lower back injury. That apparently carried into his offseason, and Santillan is behind schedule in his throwing program. A former second-round pick and once one of the more intriguing pitching prospects in the Reds’ system, he’s settled in as a reliever at the MLB level. Santillan came out of the bullpen 21 times last year, allowing 14 runs in 19 2/3 innings.

In more fortunate health news, center fielder Nick Senzel appears to be mostly ready to go for camp. The 27-year-old told C. Trent Rosecrans of the Athletic he feels good and has recovered from offseason toe surgery (Twitter link). While he indicated he might be built up a little more slowly than most players, it seems he’s on track for Opening Day. Senzel still looks the favorite for regular center field reps, though the Reds added a potential alternative with the acquisition of Will Benson from the Guardians last week. A former second overall pick, Senzel will be looking for a breakout year after hitting .240/.303/.360 through his first 273 MLB games.

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