Juan Brito struggled to put the pieces together for the Cleveland Guardians.
Now, he’s at the other end of the state of Ohio, trying to put the pieces together for the Cincinnati Reds — and off to a good start.
Brito launched his first career MLB home run on Wednesday, a three-run shot in the bottom of the second inning to tie the Reds with the San Diego Padres at the time, 3-3:
Juan Brito smashes his first career home run to tie it for the @Reds! pic.twitter.com/0aj2pzQp1N
— MLB (@MLB) September 2, 2026
Brito took his time trotting around the bases. That certainly had to feel good.
Why Did Guardians Get Rid of Juan Brito?
The Guardians had initially acquired Brito in the Nov. 2022 trade that sent Nolan Jones to the Colorado Rockies, and it looked like a good move.
Throughout his minor league career, Brito was a strong hitter. He wasn’t always ready for MLB with his glove at second base, but he had enough bat to think it might not matter.
This season, the Guardians called Brito up to finally make his MLB debut, and it was brutal.
In 15 games, Brito was 9-for-51 (.176). He had four doubles and three RBI while walking four times and striking out 17 times. That was good for a rough .505 OPS.
Brito proved expendable as other young infielders showed they could play for Cleveland, and so they sent him with Alejandro Rivera in a trade on MLB deadline day to get Nathaniel Lowe from the Reds.
Lowe, at the time of the deal, was more clearly going to impact the Guardians’ order the rest of this season, and they could afford to let Brito go.
Brito made his Reds debut on Sept. 1 and was 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly for an RBI.
On Wednesday, he walked in addition to his three-run homer. The Reds went on to win that game 7-3.
Good News for the Reds
The Reds improved to 67-73 with their win on Wednesday, only on the fringes of the NL Wild Card race.
A player like Brito, though, is exactly the kind of guy who can be helpful to add to the roster at this point in a season. He still has promise, even if his shine wore off a bit with his early Guardians stint.
Different teams are on different contention timelines, and the Reds can afford to wait and see what Brito can become. Maybe he rakes all September and wins himself a starting job for next year. Maybe it’s a bit more touch-and-go, and there could still be questions to answer next year.
Either way, the Reds acquiring Brito gave them a chance to look into their future with a fresh face who might benefit from a change of scenery. The risk is low, and it could work out in the long run for Cincinnati.
Guardians Sent Promising Youngster to Reds, and He Hit 1st MLB HR