Reds Reportedly Place Eugenio Suárez, TJ Friedl On Waivers

"New toys!" The Cincinnati Reds have placed designated hitter/third baseman Eugenio Suárez and center fielder TJ Friedl on outright waivers, The Athletic reported on Thursday morning. Suárez and Friedl could theoretically remain with the Reds, as another team would have to claim them on waivers, and if either player goes unclaimed after 48 hours, they would stay on Cincinnati's payroll. In the scenario where a team claims either player on waivers, though, it would absorb their respective contract. Suárez is in the midst of a one-year, $15 million deal, which includes a $16 million mutual option for 2027, while Friedl is under team control through 2028. Suárez is due roughly $3 million for the rest of the season, while Friedl is due roughly $700,000 and Cincinnati is reportedly "unlikely" to offer him a contract next season. The 35-year-old Suárez, who played for the Reds from 2015-21, returned to the team last offseason following a 2025 campaign that saw the third baseman tie his career high in home runs (49) and drive in a career-high 118 RBIs in a year split between the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. This year, Suárez, a two-time All-Star, has totaled 19 home runs, 57 RBIs, a 93 OPS+ and -0.4 wins above replacement over 410 plate appearances, while owning a .208/.295/.410 slash line. He has made 62 starts as Cincinnati's designated hitter and 38 at third base. The 31-year-old Friedl, who has spent his entire six-year MLB career with the Reds (2021-26), has logged three home runs, 11 RBIs, five stolen bases, a 33 OPS+ and -0.9 wins above replacement over 253 plate appearances this season, while posting a .158/.242/.234 slash line. Each of the aforementioned categories are a career low over a full season for Friedl, who registered 18 home runs, 66 home runs, 27 stolen bases and a .279/.352/.467 slash line in 2023 and drove in 53 runs in 2025. He has primarily played center field for Cincinnati, boasting five defensive runs saved at the position this season. The Reds are 63-71, good for last place in the National League Central. That said, Cincinnati pulled off a miraculous comeback on the road against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday afternoon, scoring seven runs in the top of the ninth inning for the largest ninth-inning comeback in franchise history since 1958. Suárez hit a grand slam in that inning.