Cincinnati Reds utility player Santiago Espinal, only three years removed from an All-Star Game appearance, was outrighted off the Reds’ 40-man roster Friday.
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Espinal was heading into his fourth and final year of arbitration eligibility, but was likely to be non-tendered by the Reds after a down season.
The Reds owed Espinal $2.4 million this year after avoiding arbitration last November. Ostensibly they did not want to pay him similarly, or more, after the 30-year-old slashed .243/.292/.282 in 114 games.
Cincinnati acquired third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 30, which significantly cut into Espinal’s playing time. He made only 33 plate appearances in 20 games after Hayes arrived, including three plate appearances and five games in the month of September.Â
Espinal did not participate in the Reds’ National League Wild Card series against the Los Angeles Dodgers — their first playoff appearance in five years, and only their second since 2013.
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Espinal was an asset on defense at several positions , including third base, second base and the corner outfield spots.
However, that wasn’t enough to compensate for his declining offensive numbers. Espinal finished the season with -1.4 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference — the lowest mark on the team.
In six major league seasons with the Reds (2024-25) and Toronto Blue Jays, Espinal has hit .261 with 20 home runs and 160 RBIs. He’s also stolen 28 bases while striking out at one of the lowest rates of any big leaguer (13.6 percent).
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