9:30 am: The Reds have signed an outfielder JJ Bledayaccording to Robert Murray of FanSided. Mark Sheldon of MLB.com adds that the contract is a one-year Major League contract, and that the signing will become official once Cincinnati makes another move to open up a spot on the full 40-man roster. Bleday is represented by Excel Sports Management.
Selected fourth overall by the Marlins in the 2019 draft, Bleday appeared to have broken out in 2024, when he hit .243/.324/.437 with 20 home runs over 642 plate appearances during the Athletics’ final season in Oakland. This 120 wRC+ at the plate was enough to push Bleday to 3.2 fWAR on the season, despite some very rough ratings (-19 defensive runs saved, -3 outs above average) on his defensive performances in center field.
You would have expected Bleday’s bat to have become even more powerful when the A’s moved to Sutter Health Park, but instead he struggled through a brutal 2025 campaign. Bleday delivered just a 90 wRC+ off a .212/.294/.404 slash line and 14 home runs over 344 PA, and he played in just 98 big league games as he was twice demoted to Triple A. Bleday’s barrel counts and strikeout rate both dropped significantly from 2024, falling below average. The A’s moved Bleday out of center field, but his glove work was still passable at best as a corner outfielder.
MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz predicted Bleday would make $2.2 million in his first of three trips through the arbitration process. The Athletics opted to move on completely by designating Bleday for assignment in November, and he was subsequently let go at the non-tender deadline. The Reds now control Bleday through the 2028 season, and since he has a minor league option remaining, Cincinnati can send him back to Triple-A if necessary.
Bleday is a left-handed hitter, so he doesn’t exactly fit into a Reds outfield that already has such left-handed players as TJ Friedl, Gavin LuxAnd Will Benson. Noëlvi Marte is a right-handed hitter, but he’s also likely the only outfielder scheduled for everyday duty in the wake of his successful transition to the right field position in 2025. Today’s move could indicate the Reds are thinking about parting ways with Lux or Benson, or since this entire group is pretty cheap, Cincinnati could wait until Spring Training to find out exactly how playing time in the outfield will be split.
A rebound candidate like Bleday is far from any kind of clear upgrade to the Reds lineup. Cincinnati squeaked into the postseason despite mediocre numbers at best in most offensive categories, and the multi-positional flexibility of most of the Reds’ current players gave the team plenty of room to maneuver when considering offseason moves. Such names as Brandon Lowe (since dealt to the Pirates), Jake MeyersAnd Luis Robert Jr. are reportedly on the Reds’ trade radar, and the club even considered an uncharacteristic free agent splash with a five-year offer around $125 million for Kyle Schwarber. However, that particular pursuit appeared to be tied to Schwarber’s local ties to the Cincinnati area, and the Reds are very unlikely to spend anything close to that amount for any other free agent.
In that sense, Bleday is a better fit for the Reds’ limited budget, and perhaps a sign that the Reds will focus more on trade than free agents. If the move to Sutter Health Park didn’t agree with Bleday, maybe playing in another hitter-friendly venue (and an actual Major League stadium) like The Great American Ballpark could be the answer. Bleday likely won’t be the Reds’ last offensive addition, as a better lineup would help the club take a step forward as true contenders.
#Reds #sign #Bleday