Edwin Arroyo, the 23‑year‑old switch‑hitting infielder the Reds acquired in the 2022 Luis Castillo trade, struggled through the 2026 season, posting a .223/.266/.264 line (.529 OPS) over 160 plate appearances and a dismal .171 OPS at Great American Ball Park. After a dominant AAA stint last year (.301/.367/.524, 15 homers), his major‑league defense and situational hitting have raised doubts about the trade’s payoff. The article weighs his potential—plus glovework and minor‑league power—against his immediate impact, comparing his trajectory to fellow infielder Matt McLain and discussing the franchise’s future in‑field options for 2027.
The New York Post reports that the New York Mets will add former utility man Mariano Duncan to Andy Green’s major‑league coaching staff. Duncan, 63, joins after seven years in the Mets’ minor‑league system, including stints as hitting coach for the Rookie‑level Kingsport Mets and bench coach at High‑A Brooklyn and Double‑A Binghamton. He’s slated to work with the position‑player group, having coached seven current 40‑man roster players such as Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez. Duncan’s 12‑year MLB career featured two World Series rings (1990 Reds, 1996 Yankees) and an All‑Star nod in 1994. The Mets still have a few coaching slots open ahead of Spring Training.
While the World Series pauses, Cincinnati Reds prospects shine abroad. In the Arizona Fall League, 23‑year‑old outfielder Yerlin Confidan bursts onto the scene for the Peoria Javelinas, posting a .255 line with 15 homers in the regular season and a 1.097 OPS in AFL play, including a 7‑for‑12 stretch with a 110‑mph triple and a dinger. In the Venezuelan Winter League, 20‑year‑old catcher Alfredo Duno becomes the youngest homerer of the campaign. Meanwhile, former Reds prospect Noelvi Marte rebounds in the Dominican Winter League, hitting .400/.424/.567 in October, and rookie Carlos Jorge adds a two‑run blast for the Gigantes del Cibao.
The Cincinnati Reds are coming off a disappointing 75-win season that failed to build on any momentum from their 2025 playoff berth. While Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart made headlines throughout the season, the Reds proved they weren’t deep enough in either the lineup or the rotation. With the 2026 season now behind […]
The post Cincinnati Reds Rule 5 and 40-Man Roster Outlook appeared first on Just Baseball .
Eugenio Suarez’s 2026 season with the Reds turned from a hopeful veteran comeback into a strikeout‑filled slump, landing him on waivers and likely free agency. Despite a career‑worst 33.9% strikeout rate and -4 Defensive Runs Saved in just 50 games at third base, he posted a brief resurgence late in the year—a 46‑game stretch featuring 12 homers, a 141 wRC+ and improved walk and strikeout numbers. With a $16 million mutual option for 2027 likely off the table, Suarez emerges as a potential bargain DH in a thin free‑agent market, possibly costing well under $15 million.
Nick Martinez delivers a solid start for the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1, but Milwaukee’s power trio—Cooper Pratt, Christian Yelich and a dominant bullpen—edges the Brewers to a 3‑2 victory at American Family Field. Game 2 kicks off Saturday just after 8 PM ET, with Milwaukee deploying right‑hander Logan Henderson to chase a 2‑0 series lead, while Tampa counters with postseason workhorse Drew Rasmussen (21 IP, 1.76 ERA, .76 WHIP). Lineups for both clubs are posted on MLB’s Twitter, and FOX will provide live coverage.
Former MLB player Todd Benzinger dies at 63, the Reds announce. The Dayton, Kentucky native spent three of his nine‑year career with Cincinnati, playing a key role in the 1990 World Series sweep and delivering the RBI single that ended Orel Hershiser’s 59‑inning scoreless streak on Opening Day 1989. A former Red Sox fourth‑round pick, Benzinger also played for Boston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, finishing with 66 home runs and a .257/.301/.386 slash line. After retiring he managed the Reds’ A‑ball team and mentored players like Mike Sweeney. The baseball community remembers him as a steady, selfless teammate.
The Cincinnati Reds face a big decision at one of the most important positions on the diamond. Their starting catcher and longest-tenured player, Tyler Stephenson, will be an unrestricted free agent. The Reds need to decide whether to re-sign the player they drafted and developed or let him walk to another team. After a trade […]
The post Tyler Stephenson is Worth Resigning for the Cincinnati Reds appeared first on The Lead .
Todd Benzinger, the former Cincinnati Reds first baseman who caught the final out of the 1990 World Series, died Wednesday at age 63, according to MLB.com.
Born in Dayton, Kentucky, and raised just across the river in New Richmond, Ohio, he grew up cheering for the Cincinnati Reds and dreaming of one day wearing their uniform. In 1989, that dream finally came true when he joined his hometown team. And just a year later, he ended up catching the final out […]
The post MLB World In Mourning As Reds’ World Series Champion Passes Away At 63 appeared first on EssentiallySports .
The Cincinnati Reds mourn the death of former first baseman and 1990 World Series hero Todd Benzinger, who died at 63. A Dayton, Kentucky native, Benzinger was drafted by Boston before joining Cincinnati in a 1989 trade that sent Nick Esasky and Rob Murphy the other way. He hit 17 homers in his rookie season and played a key defensive role in the Reds’ 4‑0 sweep of the Oakland Athletics in the 1990 World Series, famously making a dramatic ninth‑inning catch at Oakland‑Alameda County Coliseum. After retiring, he managed the Dayton Dragons and stayed active in youth coaching. Tributes poured in from the Reds organization and former teammate Rob Dibble.
Cincinnati is remembering a beloved former player who helped seal a championship season.
The Reds face a dilemma with infielder Matt McLain, who earned a $4.6 M signing bonus after being drafted 17th overall in 2021 and has now logged 1,073 plate appearances since 2025. Despite solid defensive reputation, his offensive numbers are among the league’s worst: a .204 batting average, .288 OBP, .339 slugging and a wRC+ of 74—the lowest among regulars with 1,000+ PA. He hits .167/.249/.303 against right‑handed pitchers (370 PA) and only modestly better versus lefties. Injuries have limited his development, and the Reds are likely to arbitrate him again for a modest raise in 2027. The article weighs his defensive value against persistently poor hitting.
Former Cincinnati Reds first baseman Todd Benzinger, a key member of the 1990 World Series‑winning club, dies at 63. Benzinger, who joined the Reds in 1989 and started at first base in Games 3 and 4 of the four‑game sweep of the Oakland Athletics, famously caught the final out to clinch the title. Over a nine‑year MLB career he also played for Boston, Kansas City, Los Angeles and San Francisco, posting 66 home runs and 376 RBIs in 924 games. The Reds mourn his loss and honor his role in one of franchise history’s most celebrated championships.
Luke Holman is re‑emerging as a top prospect for the Cincinnati Reds after a dominant Arizona Fall League outing. The 23‑year‑old former LSU right‑hander, who missed most of 2025–26 due to Tommy John surgery and a groin injury, threw nine innings, allowing one earned run while striking out 15 and walking just one. FanGraphs rates him the #17 prospect in the Reds’ system (MLB Pipeline lists him 23rd). If he stays healthy, Holman could quickly fill a glaring need for quality starting pitching in Cincinnati’s farm clubs, joining recent draftees like Chase Burns, Tyson Lewis and Mike Sirota in the organization’s 2024 draft success story.
Once again healthy, the 23-year-old right-hander is a prospect to watch in the Cincinnati system.
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The Reds’ 2026 season shined thanks to stars like Elly De La Cruz and Chase Burns, but corner outfielder JJ Bleday was a glaring underperformer, posting a .217/.324/.416 line and a disappointing 1.2 bWAR. After a strong start in AAA Louisville, Bledby earned a call‑up and briefly exploded in May, winning NL Player of the Month with a .301/.399/.655 slash and 10 homers in 31 games. However, his BABIP collapsed from .304 to .216 after June 2, and his extreme fly‑ball profile (51.4% FB) couldn’t sustain the early success. The article questions whether the Reds can unlock more value from the 29‑year‑old before his contract expires.
Future Hall of Famer Joey Votto believes the Cincinnati Reds should trade Elly De La Cruz, and the New York Yankees should convince to deal by emptying the farm.
In the Arizona Fall League, Reds shortstop Carlos Sanchez hit a homer and is batting .250/.400/.464 over eight games after a solid .270/.376/.440 2026 season across High‑A Dayton and AA Chattanooga. Former 2024 second‑round pick Luke Holman impressed with five innings, one earned run and 10 strikeouts in two appearances. The blog also fuels Elly De Cruz trade chatter, noting Joey Votto’s criticism of the Reds’ analytics and a speculative deal sending De Cruz to the Yankees for top prospect Franklin Arias. Free‑agent outfielder Ian Happ praised Cincinnati, while MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon flags three Reds prospects to watch in 2027.
Following an 83-win 2025 season that saw the Cincinnati Reds return to the playoffs for the first time since the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, there was a good amount of anticipation surrounding the club this spring. With young stars on both sides of the ball, this era of Reds baseball seemed to be trending in the […]
The post Elly De La Cruz’s Arbitration Applies Pressure to the Reds appeared first on Just Baseball .
The Cincinnati Reds have been fighting off Elly De La Cruz trade rumors all offseason, and the Cardinals can learn something from how they got there.
When the Cincinnati Reds selected Nick Lodolo with the seventh overall pick in 2019, they expected him to be a top-of-the-rotation arm. A long and lanky lefty with a sidearm arm slot that produces swing-and-miss stuff and plus command is not the easiest thing to find. For a moment, it looked like Nick Lodolo would […]
The post What Should the Reds Do With Nick Lodolo? appeared first on Just Baseball .
In a year of high expectations, the Cincinnati Reds fell well short of their goals. Finishing last in the NL Central and 13 games from a wild-card spot, it was a lost season in Cincinnati. After a promising start to the season, the year that started great turned into a year to forget. But if […]
The post Elly De La Cruz Entered Superstar Status in 2026 appeared first on The Lead .
Cincinnati Reds legend Joey Votto held nothing back during a recent interview when he claimed the club tries to “pinch […]
Today’s article is the final of a 3-part series, broadly investigating expected results for a team that can boast the kind of young talent that the Reds have in Elly De La Cruz and Chase Burns, who combined for over 10 WAR and made up roughly 1% of the team’s overall payroll. We’ll start by […]