The Cincinnati Reds may have opened the offseason early, and one of the first names out the door is a familiar one to an NL Central rival.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Chicago Cubs claimed former Reds pitching prospect Julian Aguiar on waivers less than a week after he made his 2026 debut. Cincinnati did not officially designate Aguiar for assignment, which points to him having been placed on outright waivers earlier in the week.
The Reds used the same approach with Eugenio Suárez and TJ Friedl earlier this season, though neither player was claimed. This time, the Cubs jumped in and grabbed the 25-year-old right-hander.
Aguiar’s path back this season was a long one. He missed all of 2025 after Tommy John surgery in September of 2024, then dealt with multiple trips to the minor-league injured list during his return. The Reds recalled him on September 18 after Chase Burns went on the 15-day IL with a groin strain, but Aguiar was sent right back to Triple-A Louisville the next day.
His big-league résumé is still short. Aguiar debuted in 2024 and appeared in seven games, finishing his rookie year with a 6.25 ERA and 6.86 FIP while striking out 19 in 31⅓ innings.
Most of Aguiar’s 2026 season came with Louisville. He made 16 starts for the Bats and struck out 56 batters over 58 innings. His best outing of the year came in July, when he worked six innings, allowed two runs on two hits and punched out six.
Because the Cubs added him after September 1, Aguiar won’t be eligible for their postseason roster. MLBTR noted Chicago could still use him as the starter in Game 162 on Sunday, giving its regular rotation a break before the Wild Card Series.
The move is a little surprising on paper. Aguiar is pre-arbitration eligible and still has multiple minor-league options left.
Even so, this may be just the beginning for Cincinnati. Aguiar could be the first of several Reds roster departures in the weeks ahead.
In Other News...
Reds Could Finally Handle One Offseason Decision Very Differently
The Reds have spent years working with a front office structure where the baseball staff has not always had the final say on baseball moves, but that dynamic appears to be changing. Bob Castellini has confirmed that Nick Krall and Brad Meador will be back in 2027, and he also said the clubs baseball leaders will be the ones making baseball decisions, a notable shift for a team that has at times been tied to ownership approval on certain trades.
For Cincinnati, the real significance may show up this winter if the club is willing to operate more like a Brewers-style organization and move pieces before they become harder to manage. That opens the door to a different kind of offseason, with names such as Emilio Pagn, Dane Myers and Tejay Antone all fitting into the kind of trade discussion the Reds have not always embraced. The question now is whether the front office finally has the freedom to act on that approach. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Future Dugout Plan Just Got A Lot More Real
A familiar name in the Reds dugout took on a bigger role against the Blue Jays when Terry Francona handed Mike Napoli the game-management duties for a night, a move that said plenty about how the club is thinking beyond the immediate stretch run. Napoli, who was just promoted to bench coach, has a rsum that already includes time as a player and coach under Francona, and that background makes him a natural fit to keep moving up the ladder in Cincinnati.
Francona still has a club option for 2028, but the longer-term picture around his future remains unsettled enough that the Reds are clearly keeping an eye on what comes next. Giving Napoli a chance to steer things in a live game was more than a symbolic gesture, it was another sign that the organization may already be testing the contours of a possible succession plan. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Bullpen Meltdown Revives A Frustrating Late-Inning Problem
Elly De La Cruz had already given Cincinnati a milestone to celebrate, joining the 30/30 club with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases on the season, but the Reds could not protect the lead behind him. Toronto scored four times in the bottom of the seventh to erase a 5-2 deficit and open the final series of the year with a comeback win, a reminder of how quickly one uneven inning can tilt a game at this stage of the season.
For the Reds, the frustrating part was familiar. Their pitchers handed out more walks and hit batters than they recorded strikeouts, and the Blue Jays made them pay for the free traffic. In a year that has featured plenty of encouraging individual moments, Cincinnati is still left with the same late-inning question hanging over its bullpen as the calendar winds down. [Read more 🡒]