The Cincinnati Reds have shown so much promise throughout the 2026 campaign, but with a record of 63-71, the team now sit 19.5 games back in the National League Central standings, with a nine game gap between them and the final Wild Card spot in the National League.
Unfortunately, the Reds young players just haven’t taken the leap the team would have hoped, and given the injury situation throughout the year, it’s been one piece of bad news after another in Cincinnati. On Wednesday, the team announced that two veterans would be placed on waivers, and now, they’ve officially learned their fate.
TJ Friedl and Eugenio Suraez Clear Waivers
GettyTJ Friedl of the Cincinnati Reds.
Those players would Eugenio Suarez and TJ Friedl, both key veterans that the Reds were hoping to lean on in 2026, and while both have shown flashes of being very, very good, unfortunately there just hasn’t been any consistency to go along with that.
As a result, both were placed on waivers on Wednesday night, and given the experience that they’ve got, there was expected to be plenty of interest in one, if not both players, but especially Suarez, who has shown immense power once again in 2026. However, both players have now officially cleared waivers, with reports coming from C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic to confirm the news.
As a result, both will be with the team in Chicago on Friday as the team begin a series with the rival Chicago Cubs, and while the team are way down in the standings in the NL, the hope is that they can help spark this team to a magical comeback in September.
Can the Reds Finish Their Season Strong?
While the Reds have one of baseball’s most exciting young players in Sal Stewart to go along with Elly De La Cruz, the veterans especially have let them down, with Friedl hitting just .158 with a .476 OPS on the season, hitting just three home runs with 11 RBI in what is perhaps the most disappointing season of any player in baseball. Last year, Friedl had 14 home runs and 53 RBI for the Reds, but this season, he just hasn’t replicated any of that, with the team likely looking to move on from him in the winter.
As for Suarez, he’s turned things around in recent times, and now his overall numbers don’t look terrible as he has posted an OPS of .862 in August with five home runs and 18 RBI through 76 plate appearances. As a result, many expected a contending team to pick him up for the stretch run, but given the lack of defensive versatility, teams clearly just don’t believe he was worth it in this case.
Ultimately, the Reds are a team that have shown so much promise in recent years, but time and time again they’ve failed to take that next step, and now, with their veterans struggling, they’ll have some big decisions to make after the 2026 season.
Cincinnati Reds Learn the Waiver Fate of Two Veterans