The Cincinnati Reds haven't done a ton this offseason.
They had an active day on Thursday, though.
It was a key deadline on the MLB calendar. Any players who are eligible for salary arbitration but didn't reach terms by Thursday would go to the oft-times contentious arbitration process.
Instead of letting that happen, the Reds reached salary agreements with four hitters for the 2026 season, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer:
- Gavin Lux, $5.525 million
- Spencer Steer, $4 million
- TJ Friedl, $3.8 million
- Will Benson, $1.725 million
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That adds up to just more than $15 million, not bad at all for the usefulness of that quartet.
Lux is deepest into his contract timeline, which is why he got the most money.
He's also the least likely to actually last with the Reds for the long term. With Lux heading toward free agency, and not necessarily being a crucial piece to what the Reds do, he could shape up as a trade candidate.
For now, though, Cincy needs to keep its bats around. The Reds would be viewed by most as being strongest in their pitching staff. They can't afford to have any unhappy hitters right now. They need all the bats they can get.
None of these guys were threats of being lost, because if no agreements happened Thursday, they would've ended up with their 2026 salary in arbitration. But this is good for the Reds to keep everything in order and start moving toward the season ahead.
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