Surely, this can’t be the Reds’ outfield, right?
The outfield market is officially open, but the steep price tags could hinder the Cincinnati Reds’ front office, which needs to prioritize locking up a growing core of promising young talent. While trade options like Luis Robert Jr. are on the table, the cost—likely involving several top prospects—may be too high to justify. If the Reds fail to make a deal and enter Spring Training without upgrading their outfield, the 2025 season could be off to a disastrous start.
FanGraphs projects the Reds’ 2025 starting outfield to include TJ Friedl, a platoon of Jake Fraley and Cooper Bowman, and another platoon of Will Benson and Stuart Fairchild (with Spencer Steer moving to first base). That lineup alone is enough to cause concern for any Reds fan.
Essentially, Cincinnati would be fielding an outfielder who’s effective but injury-prone, a Rule 5 draft pick, a player who has only surpassed a .725 OPS twice in six seasons, and a duo that racked up more than 200 strikeouts combined. The outlook isn’t promising.
If the Reds don’t ante up for an outfielder, things could be dire in 2025
Friedl is a clear choice for center field, even if the Reds invest in a new bat. He’s proven to be an ideal leadoff hitter since Jonathan India vacated the role, thanks to his strong plate discipline. Despite dealing with a hamstring injury in 2024 that slowed him down, Friedl still managed to contribute +2 baserunning runs. He’s a gritty, hard-nosed leader on the team.
The challenge, however, is keeping him on the field. Friedl has dealt with a laundry list of injuries—shoulder, ankle, hamstring (twice), oblique, wrist, thumb—with the hamstring being the most concerning. As the leadoff hitter, his speed is critical to the offense, and as a center fielder, he’ll be expected to cover for defensive gaps around him. A single sprint could aggravate that hamstring again.
Unfortunately, the current outfield options—Fraley, Benson, and Fairchild—offer little defensive relief, with the trio projected to combine for -13.5 defensive fWAR. While Fairchild did post positive outs above average last season, he’s also projected to be the weakest offensively in 2025 and has no minor-league options remaining.
Bowman could factor into the mix, particularly given Fraley’s struggles against left-handed pitching (.173/.266/.238). However, Bowman remains an unproven player, having yet to debut in the majors and with only 34 games of outfield experience.
In short, while splurging on a top-tier outfielder could be risky for the Reds, their current outfield situation is far from ideal. It’s time to make the investment.
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