The Cincinnati Reds passed on a move that could have changed the shape of their roster, and now Tyler Stephenson looks even more important to their future.
With catcher demand said to be high at this year’s trade deadline, Cincinnati decided on Monday to keep Stephenson rather than deal him before he reaches free agency after the season. Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said the club didn’t get an offer it liked before the deadline passed, but the decision still leaves the team in a tight spot.
Stephenson has put together a strong season after a sluggish start. He’s batting .256/.342/.417 with nine home runs, 32 RBI and a 108 OPS+. His .629 OPS over the first two months of the season was underwhelming, but since June 1 he has climbed to .913.
That’s why so many around the team are now pointing in the same direction: if the Reds didn’t move him, they need to keep him. Otherwise, Cincinnati risks getting nothing back if Stephenson walks in free agency.
An extension has been discussed for years. Fans were already pushing for one after Stephenson finished sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting following the 2021 season.
Then came the season-ending injury in 2022, which limited him to 50 games. He didn’t fully rebound in 2023, when he hit .243/.317/.378, a step back from the .286/.366/.431 line he posted the year before.
Stephenson bounced back in 2024, and many expected that would finally spark serious talks. Instead, the Reds’ QB1 struggled in 2025.
If Cincinnati lets Stephenson go without an extension, the catching picture gets thin fast. Jose Trevino would be lined up as the primary catcher for the 2027 season, with journeyman minor leaguer Will Banfield as the only other backstop on the roster. Reds fans are also waiting on Alfredo Duno, but his Major League debut may not come until 2028 at the earliest.
That leaves the Reds with a clear path forward: work out a two- or three-year extension before the 2026 campaign ends. Stephenson is making $6.8 million this season, and a two-year deal with an average annual value around $10 million could be enough to get a deal done.
The money is there, too, with plenty coming off the books this offseason. The Reds chose to keep Tyler Stephenson. Now they need to follow through.
In Other News...
Reds Make A Telling Post-Deadline Move Fans Did Not Expect
After a trade deadline that brought a few minor moves involving minor league players and international pool money, the Reds shifted their focus inward by promoting Hector Rodriguez, their third-ranked prospect. President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall confirmed the move after the deadline, giving Cincinnati a fresh look at one of its more intriguing young names as the front office moved on from the idea of a bigger shakeup.
The more telling part of the day may have been what the Reds chose not to do. Brady Singer and Tyler Stephenson were both in the final year of team control, the kind of players contenders often dangle when they decide to recalibrate, but Cincinnati held on instead. For a club trying to balance immediate competitiveness with long-term planning, the post-deadline message was just as clear in the quiet decisions as it was in the roster move that followed. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Deadline Move Leaves One Bigger Question About Their Direction
The Reds used the deadline to make a move that fit a clear organizational template, sending veteran infielder Nathaniel Lowe to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for 19-year-old right-hander Alejandro Rivera. Lowe had carved out a starting job against right-handed pitching in Cincinnati, so the deal removes a useful bat from the mix while bringing back a young arm whose value is tied more to the future than the present.
For a club trying to balance immediate competitiveness with a longer view, the transaction says plenty about where the front office is leaning. President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall said the team listened on roster players during the deadline period, but only acted when a deal made sense for the organization, which leaves the broader question intact: how far is Cincinnati willing to go in reshaping this roster if the right opportunity comes along? [Read more 🡒]
Nick Krall Just Framed The Reds Deadline Around Two Core Players
The Reds spent the final stretch before the MLB trade deadline reshaping the roster in smaller ways, sending Nathaniel Lowe to the Guardians and Caleb Ferguson to the Cardinals while bringing in infielder Juan Brito from Cleveland. President of baseball operations Nick Krall framed the moves as part of a broader plan that also includes Hector Rodriguez getting a look and the club managing the return of injured players, a reminder that Cincinnati is trying to balance short-term roster churn with longer-term fit.
Krall also made clear where the organization sees some of its most important stability. Brady Singer and Tyler Stephenson sit near the center of that picture, not just as everyday contributors but as players the Reds view as part of the franchises leadership core moving forward. That gives the deadline an extra layer of meaning for Cincinnati, because the real takeaway is not only who moved out and who came in, but which familiar faces the club chose to keep at the heart of what comes next. [Read more 🡒]