Looking ahead to the offseason, the Reds only have three players who are outright free agents coming off the books for 2025 — relievers Buck Farmer and Justin Wilson, and veteran utilityman Amed Rosario.
But simply looking at free-agents-to-be doesn’t give the whole picture, since some players have options — including opt-outs, player options, team options and mutual options — and there are also decisions to be made about players who will be arbitration-eligible.
Here’s a look at those players, their 2024 salaries and what lies ahead:
• RHP Nick Martinez ($14 million in 2024) — There’s a case for Martinez as the team’s most valuable player. After a shaky start in the rotation, he went to the bullpen and was lights out, but in the second half of the season, the team was desperate for starters and he helped stabilize the team’s pitching during a challenging stretch.
On the season, Martinez is 9-6 with a 3.37 ERA in 40 appearances and 14 starts. From May 4 to Aug. 2, he made 24 of 25 appearances out of the bullpen. He gave up five runs in that one start, but just 11 over that bullpen stretch, good for a 2.14 ERA. Since going back to the rotation, he’s gone 4-1 with a 2.92 ERA in nine starts.
The Reds signed him to a two-year deal worth $26 million, but he can opt out of his second year (worth $12 million) after the World Series.
With what Martinez has done this year, he’ll likely return to the market. The Reds would love to have him back, but he’ll have no shortage of suitors.
• RHP Emilio Pagán ($8 million) — The 33-year-old Pagán has an $8-million player option for 2025 with a $250,000 buyout.
Pagán’s been limited to 35 games, going 4-4 with a 3.57 ERA in those games. He had two trips to the IL this year, missing 64 games. It seems unlikely he’d get more than $8 million on the open market, so it’s a no-brainer for him to pick up his option.
• RHP Jakob Junis ($7 million) — Junis, acquired in the trade that sent Frankie Montas to the Brewers at the deadline, has an $8 million mutual option with a $3 million buyout. The 32-year-old has made 12 appearances and three starts for the Reds, putting up a 3.00 ERA. Overall, he’s 4-0 with a 2.73 ERA in 22 appearances and four stats. He’s fit into the swingman role well.
Jakob Junis has enjoyed being in the starting rotation for the Reds lately, and describes himself as a “hybrid guy” to fill any role Cincinnati needs him to perform.
In three starts with the Reds, he’s allowed just one run and four hits in 14 innings.
That’s a 0.64 ERA. pic.twitter.com/jwEQ43RgVm
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) September 12, 2024
But Junis missed most of the first half of the Brewers’ season with a shoulder injury and hasn’t pitched in back-to-back games all season. There are reasons for both sides to want to exercise the option, though it seems likely the Reds would decline their side.
• C Luke Maile ($3 million) — The Reds have the option on the 33-year-old Covington Catholic graduate for $3.5 million. While Maile’s offensive production is down from last season, he’s a valuable part of the team in what he does aside from the bat. Backup catcher is a difficult job and without a clear upgrade in sight, it seems like an easy decision for the Reds to bring him back.
• LHP Brent Suter ($2.5 million) — Another local, the Moeller High School graduate hasn’t had an ideal homecoming, missing 39 games with a partial tear of his teres major muscle. He’s appeared in 39 games with a 3.19 ERA over 62 innings. His numbers are all down from a year ago, although those came in Colorado. He has a lower ERA, lower opponent’s batting average (.237 this year) and WHIP (1.06 in 2024) than a year ago while cutting his walks dramatically. He’s also saved two games.
The Reds hold a $3.5-million option for Suter in 2025 with a $250,000 buyout. Do they keep him for another year? It could go either way, but a durable, veteran lefty has value and you can do worse.
• 1B Ty France ($6.775 million) — France, 30, landed in Cincinnati via a trade with the Mariners at the deadline, with Seattle picking up $1 million of his remaining salary. France is arbitration-eligible for the third time this offseason. The Reds could offer him arbitration or non-tender him.
In the arbitration process, France would get a raise, so he’ll make more than $7 million (and that’s being conservative). Cincinnati added him because of injuries, but he’s seemed to regain his form as a Red, hitting .282/.323/.430 with four homers in 41 games. He hit just .223/.312/.350 for the Mariners with eight homers in 88 games.
France has also stabilized the Reds’ first-base spot with the injury to Jeimer Candelario, who is under contract for two more years. There’s also Christian Encarnacion-Strand in the mix and if Matt McLain returns to play second, Jonathan India is part of the equation at that position as well.
Much of France’s value comes in what the team does at third base, where Noelvi Marte has struggled after returning from his PED suspension and will, at the very least, face competition for the spot next spring. Candelario was a third baseman but didn’t look great there this year. Encarnacion-Strand has also played third and looked improved there, though his offensive struggles put him in the same boat as Marte next spring.
• IF Santiago Espinal ($2.725 million) — Espinal also enters his third and final year of arbitration. He’s been the Nick Martinez of position players, doing anything and everything asked of him. The 29-year-old has hit .259/.306/.378 this season, but has gone .328/.376/.458 since the All-Star break after getting more regular playing time. He’s played five different defensive positions, including his first career appearances in the outfield. He’s also proven he can put the ball in play when the team needs it the most. While Espinal was a last-minute pickup for the Reds at the end of spring training, it’s proved to be a good move and he should return next year.
• C Tyler Stephenson ($2.525 million) — Stephenson is arbitration-eligible for the second time and it could be time for the Reds to look into a long-term deal with their catcher.
• OF Jake Fraley ($2.15 million) — Fraley’s had a strange season. His power from a year ago has faded, but his average has increased. The Reds need to upgrade their outfield from a group of platoon players to more everyday players, but Fraley should stick around.
• RHP Alexis Díaz, RHP Ian Gibaut, LHP Nick Lodolo, LHP Sam Moll and RHP Graham Ashcraft — The Reds have five pitchers — including two starters — eligible for arbitration for the first time. All five should be offered arbitration.
Rematch on tap
A little over a year ago, LSU’s Paul Skenes and Wake Forest’s Rhett Lowder faced off in the College World Series in one of the most anticipated games in the tournament’s storied history. Neither pitcher allowed a run in eight and seven innings, respectively. Skenes’ LSU team would win the game in extras, sending the Tigers to the championship.
The two are slated to meet again this Saturday at Great American Ball Park as both are on track to start that game.
Skenes is among the favorites for Rookie of the Year and will also likely get Cy Young votes, with a 10-2 record and 2.10 ERA in 20 starts for Pittsburgh. The former No. 1 pick has 151 strikeouts and 31 walks in 120 innings. He held the Reds to two hits in six innings with nine strikeouts in a win on Aug. 22. In his two starts against the Reds, he’s 2-0 and has allowed just one run on eight hits and two walks over 12 innings with eight strikeouts.
Lowder, the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft, has made four starts in the big leagues, going 1-2 with a 1.74 ERA. In 20 2/3 innings, he’s allowed four runs on 17 hits with nine walks and 17 strikeouts.
The week that was
The Reds missed a chance at a sweep in Minnesota, but finished the week with a winning record, going 4-3. They finished their 10-game, four-city road trip with a .500 record, losing the series against the Mets to start the trip before beating the Braves in a makeup game, losing two of three to the Cardinals and winning two of three against the Twins.
The week ahead
After a day off Monday, the Reds begin their final homestand of the season with three games against the Atlanta Braves and then three against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Reds have won all three of their games against the Braves this season and are 3-7 against the Pirates.
Injury updates
• RHP Hunter Greene (right elbow soreness) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice Tuesday in Cincinnati, Reds manager David Bell told reporters in Minneapolis this week. It’s possible he could return to the rotation and make two starts before the end of the season.
• RHP Ian Gibaut (right forearm strain/right calf strain) began a rehab assignment with Louisville on Sunday, allowing a home run in his lone inning of work.
• OF Nick Martini (left thumb sprain) began a rehab assignment with Louisville on Saturday. He hit two home runs Sunday for the Bats in Iowa.
Minor League report
• Triple-A Louisville (64-79) — IF Francisco Urbaez went 4-for-6 with two doubles and six RBIs in Sunday’s 17-10 Bats victory over the Iowa Cubs. The 26-year-old out of Florida Atlantic is hitting .313/.416/.406 in his 22 games at Triple A since being promoted from Chattanooga. The Bats finish the season this week with a six-game homestand against Omaha.
• Double-A Chattanooga (45-90) — The Lookouts had their season come to an end Sunday after the final game was canceled due to rain and unplayable field conditions. The Lookouts’ Nicholas Northcut, a graduate of Mason High School in suburban Cincinnati, led the Southern League with 26 home runs, four more than any other player in the league. He’s one of only three players with at least 20 homers on the season. Northcut had just six more singles than home runs on the season, hitting .192/.256/.440. His 65 RBIs finished tied for third in the league.
• High-A Dayton (74-58) — The Dragons were swept in their best-of-three series with the Lake County Captains, a Guardians affiliate. IF Cam Collier was eighth in the Midwest League with a .798 OPS, putting up a .248/.355/.443 slash line. He finished with 20 home runs and 74 RBI in 119 games. RHP Ryan Cardona led the rotation with a 9-5 record and 3.29 ERA in 22 games and 19 starts. Over 104 innings, he had 120 strikeouts and 40 walks.
• Low-A Daytona (64-64) — The Tortugas’ season ended Thursday after dropping the first two games of the Florida State League playoffs to the Palm Beach Cardinals. The Tortugas’ leading hitter was OF Yelin Confidant, who hit .249/.327/.419. His .762 OPS was the fifth-best among qualified batters in the league. LHP Adam Serwinowski was the team’s top starter, going 1-3 with a 3.57 ERA over 25 starts. In 85 2/3 innings, he had 106 strikeouts and 45 walks.
(Top photo of Luke Maile: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)
