The Cincinnati Reds have time to figure out their outfield situation, but they do not yet have a clear starter in left as they try to build on their NL Wild Card Round appearance. Manager Terry Francona spoke about the matter at the MLB Winter Meetings, via MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon.
“We’ve been pretty clear we want [Noelvi] Marte to play,” he said. “We all think he’s going to be a pretty good right fielder. TJ [Friedl] is fine in center. And then what we do in left [field], I think, is kind of to be determined. … We just need to see how things play out.”
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Marte slashed .263/.300/.448 with 14 homers and 51 RBIs over 90 games last season. The 24-year-old’s 90 games played were a career-high, as he played 35 in 2023 and 66 in 2024, his first two big-league seasons.
Meanwhile, Friedl slashed .261/.364/.378 with 14 homers and 53 RBIs over a career-high 152 games. The 30-year-old made his MLB debut in 2021 and has notched a .700-plus OPS in each of his seasons other than 2024.
Fellow veteran Austin Hays was Cincinnati’s primary left fielder last season, but he’s now a free agent. The former Baltimore Oriole slashed .266/.315/.453 with 15 homers and 64 RBIs over 103 contests.
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How will the Reds address their need in left?
Cincinnati Reds first baseman/outfielder Spencer Steer (7). © Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
An internal option is first baseman/outfielder Spencer Steer. The 5-foot-9, 185-pounder played 122 games at first, 11 in left, and one in right this past season. He slashed .238/.312/.411 with 21 homers and 75 RBIs.
“One, [Steer] likes to do that,” Francona said about Steer potentially playing multiple positions. “Two, it would be dependent on the makeup of our team. If he is moving around and still getting 550 at-bats, we’re OK. I hate to even use a word like ‘utility’ with him, but if you’re moving him around but you’re getting everyday production, that’s really helpful.”
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Corner outfield options on the free-agent market include Cody Bellinger, Ryan O’Hearn, Michael Conforto, and Jesse Winker. Cincinnati could also bring back Hays, but Bellinger (.813 OPS) and O’Hearn (.803) each had a higher OPS in 2025 than him (.768).
The Reds will have to give Bellinger a blockbuster deal if they want to sign him, as his agent Scott Boras is demanding a six-year, $180 million deal, per NJ.com. The other options are cheaper, but putting Bellinger alongside franchise cornerstone Elly De La Cruz in the lineup would help keep the club in playoff contention over the coming years.