Despite adding outfielders, the Reds remain committed to TJ Friedl.
The Cincinnati Reds have been busy adding outfield depth this offseason, but one player they are not willing to part with is their starting center fielder TJ Friedl.
Reds Want More Outfield Help But Friedl Stays Put
According to a new report from Will Sammon of The Athletic, despite signing JJ Bleday and trading for Dane Myers over the holiday weekend, the Reds remain open to adding even more outfield help through a trade.
However, league sources made it clear that Cincinnati is not considering moving Friedl at all.
"Despite adding Bleday and Myers, two players who can handle center field, the Reds remain open to further supplementing their outfield, particularly via trade, league sources said," Sammon reported. "They are not entertaining the idea of trading center fielder TJ Friedl, league sources said."
The reasoning behind the Reds' decision to hold onto Friedl is easy to understand when you look at what he brings to the table.
The 30-year-old is under team control through arbitration for three more seasons, and he was one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball during the 2025 campaign.
Manager Terry Francona slotted Friedl at the top of the lineup for the entire season, and the results speak for themselves.
A Bounce-Back Season for Friedl
After dealing with a rough 2024 that was ruined by a broken wrist in spring training and a broken thumb early in the year, Friedl got back to being the player who broke out in 2023.
He led the Reds with a .364 on-base percentage among players with at least 200 plate appearances, which ranked third among all qualified leadoff hitters in baseball.
For the full season, Friedl slashed .261/.364/.378 with 14 home runs, 53 RBI, 82 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases across 579 at-bats while earning 2.3 WAR.
Friedl proved to be exactly what the Reds needed at the top of the order as they pushed for a playoff spot.
His ability to get on base and set the table for the rest of the lineup was a big part of why Cincinnati finished with an 83-79 record and clinched a Wild Card berth for the first time since 2020.
The Reds ended up finishing third in the NL Central before losing to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in a two-game sweep during the Wild Card Series.
Looking Ahead
The Reds brought in Bleday on a one-year deal worth $1.4 million and acquired Myers from the Miami Marlins in exchange for minor league outfielder Ethan O'Donnell.
Both players can handle center field, but president of baseball operations Nick Krall made it clear that neither move changes Friedl's role as the everyday center fielder.
Krall said Myers is viewed as a guy who can give Friedl some days off while also playing left and right field.
With Friedl locked in as the starter in center and Noelvi Marte set to handle right field, the Reds are still looking for the right fit in left field.
Their current options there include Bleday, Gavin Lux, and Will Benson, all of whom hit from the left side of the plate.
Cincinnati has been linked to Luis Robert Jr. from the White Sox, but his $20 million salary remains a hurdle for a team with a payroll around $111 million.
For now, Friedl remains the heart of the Reds outfield and their table-setter at the top of the order. Given his production and three years of team control remaining, it makes sense that the front office has no plans to move him anytime soon.