TJ Friedl's sixth season with the Cincinnati Reds likely was his last.
TJ Friedl's tenure with the Cincinnati Reds is likely over. The outfielder elected free agency Tuesday after spending the final weeks of the season with Triple-A Louisville, according to the MiLB transaction log.
Just three years ago, Friedl seemed to be a big part of the future. Now, that is completely out of the window.
The undrafted outfielder finished 2023 with a .279 batting average, .352 on-base percentage and .819 OPS while hitting 18 home runs, driving in 66 runs and stealing 27 bases. He received votes in National League MVP voting that year and looked like a key piece of Cincinnati's future.
That version of Friedl never came back. He played just 85 games in 2024 due to injuries, then rebounded in 2025 with a .261 average, .364 on-base percentage and .742 OPS across 152 games. That season appeared to put him back on track as Cincinnati's everyday center fielder and lead-off option.
Instead, 2026 became the end of the road. Friedl hit .172 with a .255 on-base percentage and .510 OPS in 91 games, finishing with four home runs, 13 RBIs and five stolen bases before the Reds optioned him to Louisville in September.
The Reds designated him for assignment on Sept. 20, and he was outrighted to Louisville two days later after clearing waivers. He remained there through the end of the season before electing free agency on Sept. 29.
For a player who once looked like a lock in the outfield, the ending was hard to watch. Cincinnati had built around Friedl as its center fielder, and his 2025 bounce-back had reinforced the belief that he could be a productive part of the lineup long-term. His final year ended with him off the 40-man roster entirely.
The Reds finished 75-87 and fifth in the NL Central, making the offseason a chance to reshape an outfield that struggled for much of the year. Friedl's likely departure gives Cincinnati another roster decision to make heading into the winter.
He is only 31 and has shown he can get on base, run the bases well and handle center field when healthy.
His 2023 season and 2025 rebound give another club enough evidence to view him as a bounce-back candidate or a depth piece. While Friedl could re-sign in Cincinnati, a fresh start elsewhere may be exactly what he needs.
Another organization will likely take a chance on a player who put together one of the better outfield seasons in Reds history just three years ago.
