Affordable Diamondbacks-Randal Grichuk deal has Reds fans absolutely befuddled

Reds fans who breathed a sigh of relief when Cincy signed outfielder Austin Hays to a one-year, $5 million deal last week may be kicking themselves now. While Randal Grichuk’s own $5 million pact with the Arizona Diamondbacks is identical in some respects, the D-backs won out with a better outfielder, a team-friendly deal, and the potential for long-term benefits. In other words, the Cincinnati Reds missed out.

Grichuk’s contract registers as $5 million for one year only because of the mutual option for 2026, which comes with a $3 million buyout. If both team and player agree to the option, he will be on a true $5 million contract. That’s two years of service for just $7 million. Hays, on the other hand, will become a free agent at the conclusion of the season: one year, $5 million.

Reds may regret signing Austin Hays after seeing Diamondbacks-Randal Grichuk deal

While Grichuk comes with his detractions (such as being most valuable as a platoon partner against lefties), he demonstrated how valuable he could be in his limited time last season. Though he appeared in 106 games, he had just 279 plate appearances, but he still racked up 2.2 bWAR. He was particularly lethal as a bench bat, slashing .438/.539/.688 in his 39 pinch-hit appearances.

Hays, on the other hand, stumbled in the follow-up to his 2023 All-Star campaign. Battling a kidney infection and competition from young Baltimore Orioles players, he appeared in just 85 games. So if we’re comparing usefulness on a day-to-day basis, Grichuk gets knocked for platooning, but Hays should be dinged as well. Hays could also very well be platooning in 2025.

In his best season, Hays was only marginally better than Grichuk. In 2021, Hays contributed 9 batting runs. (Ironically, he contributed zero in his All-Star season.) Grichuk, on the other hand, contributed 6 runs in 2022, his worst season.

Ultimately, the Reds can’t be too upset. They are fairly comparable players, and Hays, who is four years younger, may be interested in a longer term deal if he performs well and stays healthy. Still, seeing Grichuk settle for what could be $3.5 million for two seasons is going to sting for a little bit.

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