Dane Myers made an impression in his first season in Cincinnati by playing like a center fielder who would rather crash through a wall than concede a catch.
That style came with a price. On June 29 in Milwaukee, Myers ran into the wall on a successful play and ended up on a medical cart before being diagnosed with a bruised left shoulder.
The collision sent him to the injured list for two weeks, but it was hardly the only time he tested the limits of the outfield grass and warning track. He also made standout plays on April 9 against the Marlins, on a game-ending grab into the wall in a win over Cleveland on July 28, and on Sept. 4 when he robbed the Brewers’ Sal Frelick of a home run.
“I think that’s just part of my game and the way I was taught to play," Myers said in Toronto on the final weekend of the season. "I don’t think it will change. Taking care of my body off the field is big so I can go out there and play like how I like to play.”
The season eventually brought more than just bruises. After it ended, Myers had surgery to clean up the AC joint in his left shoulder, and his timetable to be ready could be close to the start of Spring Training.
Even with the injury interruptions, Myers carved out a meaningful role for the Reds. He arrived in a Dec. 27 trade from the Marlins that sent outfield prospect Ethan O'Donnell to Miami, then earned a roster spot in Spring Training and initially formed part of a center field platoon with TJ Friedl.
Over a career-high 117 games, the 30-year-old hit .257 with a .721 OPS. He also set career highs with eight home runs, 75 hits, 11 doubles, 37 walks and 39 runs.
Against left-handers, he became a valuable weapon, especially when called upon as a pinch-hitter. His 11 pinch-hit singles were tied for second most in MLB, one behind Randal Grichuk of the White Sox.
"Dane Myers is a guy that hit really well against lefties," president of baseball operations Nick Krall said. "He did a good job in that role. He made some steps forward."
Myers said the work against both sides of pitching felt more balanced by the end of the year. His career OPS against lefties is .800, more than 200 points higher than his .597 mark against righties, but in 2026 that gap shrank to just under 100 points, from .777 to .678.
“I’ve always felt like I could handle both," Myers said. "For somebody to show the confidence in me to put me out there and give me those opportunities is pretty big. I’m glad I was kind of able to take advantage of that.”
His return comes at a moment when Cincinnati’s outfield picture is still unsettled. JJ Bleday is set to be back in a corner spot, while prospects Héctor Rodríguez and Carlos Jorge, ranked No. 15 in the Reds’ system by MLB Pipeline, will be in the mix along with Noelvi Marte after a poor season. If the Reds are looking for another way to add offense, the outfield looks like the place to do it.
Myers said he came away encouraged by his first year in Cincinnati and is looking ahead to 2027.
“I think it went well. Maybe not exactly the numbers I was quite looking for, but I can look back on the year and say I was true to myself and played my game throughout the year," he said.
"I feel like I got better as a player and a teammate. Obviously, the end goal wasn’t reached of making the postseason.
I think we’ve got some stuff that we know we need to work on and build off of it."
In Other News...
Reds Face One Big Offseason Decision On A Familiar Arm
Nick Martinez is back in the conversation for Cincinnati, and it makes sense why. The former Reds right-hander spent this season with the Rays, stayed durable enough to make 31 starts, and kept his earned run average at 3.10 while showing the kind of steadiness that tends to stand out when a club is staring at rotation uncertainty. For a Reds team that has spent a lot of time trying to stabilize the pitching staff, a familiar arm who already knows the organization is going to look awfully relevant once the offseason market opens.
The bigger issue is timing, because the Reds are headed toward a 2027 rotation picture that already looks thin, and the front office will have to balance that need against its budget realities. With the club also facing other departures and Hunter Greene unavailable after Tommy John surgery, adding dependable innings is not a luxury item. Martinez fits the profile of a pitcher Cincinnati could circle back to, but whether the Reds can make that fit work financially is the question hanging over the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Pitching Search Just Got Tougher After A Brutal 2026 Regression
The Reds search for help on the mound just got a little more complicated. Cleveland Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis is expected to remain with the Guardians, despite earlier speculation that he could be a fit in Cincinnati, and Guardians manager Stephen Vogt also is reported to be staying put. For a Reds team trying to regroup after a rough 2026 regression, that removes one of the more obvious veteran names from the board at a moment when the club is trying to stabilize its pitching infrastructure.
Cincinnati is still sorting through a broader overhaul after Derek Johnsons departure, with two pitching-related openings to fill for 2027. Bullpen coach Oscar Marin and assistant pitching coach Matt Tracy are among the internal options, while outside candidates such as Matt Blake and Connor McGuiness could also enter the mix. The challenge now is finding the right combination of voices to guide a staff that needs both direction and continuity, and the list of possible fits only seems to be growing more complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Former Reds In The World Series Could Affect Cincinnati's Offseason
A World Series run by either Tampa Bay or Milwaukee would put an unexpected Reds wrinkle on the championship stage, because both clubs are carrying former Cincinnati players whose performances have helped shape the postseason picture. Joe Boyle, Gavin Lux, Casey Legumina, Jake Bauers, Ryan Vilade and Nick Martinez all have ties back to Cincinnati, giving the Reds another reminder of how much roster churn can matter when October arrives and the market for pitching and depth pieces starts taking shape.
For the Reds, the more interesting part may come after the confetti falls, when those familiar names and their roles this fall feed into offseason planning. Martinez in particular stands out as a possible free-agent fit if Cincinnati looks for rotation help, while the rest of the group underscores how players moved out of the organization can still circle back into the clubs thinking when its time to build the next roster. [Read more 🡒]