Two Reds players will be non-tendered before the deadline, while two will be retained.

 

 

The non-tender deadline is today, and the Cincinnati Reds must make a decision. A few players may be non-tendered, while others may escape by the skin of their teeth.

Players are non-tendered for a variety of reasons, including salary commitments, roster space, underperformance, and so on. All of these considerations could come into play later today when the Reds make some tough decisions.

Some decisions will undoubtedly be simpler than others, but consider two players who will be non-tendered before today’s deadline and two who will fight another day. MLB trade rumors will be used to calculate estimated arbitration figures.

Derek Law of the Cincinnati Reds will not be re-signed.

 

 

There is reason to anticipate that Derek Law will be retained by the Cincinnati Reds in 2024. The Reds may easily decide to keep the right-hander in the bullpen next season, despite his $1.4-million contract.

However, Cincinnati’s bullpen boasts a lot of right-handed depth. Along with Lucas Sims, Alex Diaz, Fernando Cruz, and Ian Gibaut, the Reds boast young pitchers Casey Legumina, Lyon Richardson, and Carson Spiers, all of whom showed promise in 2023.

If Derek Law is retained, the aforementioned relief pitchers will be demoted to Triple-A. Law, who has no minor league options, would have to stay on the active roster for the whole 2024 season.

Better relievers are also available in free agency this winter. If Cincinnati is trying to fill Law’s bullpen spot, a number of pitchers may be had for somewhat more than what Law is expected to earn next season.

Law did serve as the Reds’ opener on occasion, but if necessary, players such as Cruz and Tejay Antone could step in. Law is expected to be non-tendered later today.

The Nick Senzel era came to an end today when the Cincinnati Reds declined to offer the former first-round pick. Many Reds fans will undoubtedly resort to social media to complain that the team failed Senzel and should never have moved him to the outfield in the first place.

Don’t forget that in 2018, Eugenio Suarez was an All-Star, blasted 34 home runs, and received a hefty contract extension. Geno was not going to be traded after signing a team-friendly contract, and Senzel was not going to take over at third base in 2019.

No, the Reds’ biggest blunder with Senzel was not refusing to play him at third base in 2019, but rather acquiring Mike Moustakas in December of that year and insisting on him playing second base in 2020.

The Reds’ worst error in 2019 was not moving Nick Senzel to the outfield.

The Cincinnati Reds entered the 2019 season with a lot of optimism. The club had a fresh direction after saying farewell to Bryan Price the previous year and bringing in David Bell as manager.

During the offseason, Cincinnati acquired Sonny Gray and appeared to have a promising stable of young starting pitchers that featured Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle, and Anthony DeSclafani.

Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez, and Scooter Gennett were also returning All-Stars from the previous season. There was also Jesse Winker, a promising young bat, and two fun-loving veterans in Derek Dietrich and Jose Iglesias. Not to mention the Wild Horse, Yasiel Puig.

If Nick Senzel was to make the starting lineup, he would do so in the outfield. The Reds decided to shift the University of Tennessee product from the infield dirt to the outfield grass because of his athletic skills.

Senzel had a productive rookie season despite being assigned to Triple-A owing to the Reds’ irrational belief that Scott Schebler would be the better Opening Day centerfielder. Senzel, on the other hand, played in 104 games and hit.256/.315/.427.

The signing of Mike Moustakas was the Reds’ biggest blunder in recent memory.

Scooter Gennett’s stint with the Cincinnati Reds was cut short in 2019 due to a preseason injury. At the deadline, Gennett was moved to the San Francisco Giants, and Cincinnati shifted Jose Peraza, Derek Dietrich, and Freddy Galvis.

However, no one had claimed second base as of 2020. After Senzel’s rookie season was cut short due to a shoulder injury sustained while crashing into the outfield wall, the Reds had the perfect opportunity to move him to second base and sign a free agency centerfielder during the offseason.

The Cincinnati Reds did sign Shogo Akiyama to a three-year, $21 million contract, but before that, the Reds made a splash in free agency by signing Mike Moustakas to a club-record four-year, $64 million contract. Unfortunately, every Reds fan is aware of how this narrative ended.

That duo would go on to be two of the Reds’ worst disappointments in franchise history. Akiyama was revealed to be nothing more than a slap batter, and Moustakas spent as much time in the weight room as Senzel.

Cincinnati designated Akiyama for assignment in 2022 and granted him a $8-million farewell gift. Moose was DFA’d prior to the 2023 season and signed a $22-million deal with the Colorado Rockies.