The Reds signed an outfielder JJ Blédayaccording to Robert Murray of FanSided. Mark Sheldon of MLB.com adds that the contract is a big deal. Bleday is represented by Excel Sports Management.
Selected fourth overall by the Marlins in the 2019 draft, it looked like Bleday had broken out in 2024, when he hit .243/.324/.437 with 20 home runs in 642 plate appearances in the Athletics’ final season in Oakland. Those 120 wRC+ at the plate were enough to propel Bleday to 3.2 fWAR on the season, despite some very harsh criticism (-19 defensive runs saved, -3 outs above average) of his defensive performance in center field.
One might have expected Bleday’s bat to get even more potent as the A’s moved to Sutter Health Park, but he instead struggled during a brutal 2025 campaign. Bleday delivered just a 90 wRC+ on a .212/.294/.404 slash line and 14 home runs in 344 PA, and he only appeared in 98 big league games while he was demoted twice to Triple-A. Bleday’s barrel count and withdrawal rate have both declined significantly from 2024, falling to below-average levels. The A’s moved Bleday out of center field, but his glove work was still passable at best as a corner outfielder.
MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Bleday to earn $2.2 million in his first of three trips through the arbitration process. The Athletics opted to move on completely by designating Bleday for assignment in November and then firing him at the non-tender deadline. The Reds now have three years of team control over Bleday, and since he has a minor league option remaining, Cincinnati can send him back to Triple-A if necessary.
More to come…
