Alfredo Duno's IL stint only strengthens this Reds decision that was already obvious

Alfredo Duno is the Cincinnati Reds’ catcher of the future, but that future is further away than one would hope. The club’s No. 1 prospect pulled his right hamstring legging out an infield single in late July.

With only a month remaining in the minor-league season, he could be down for the count. Regardless of the amount of time he misses, the injury should prompt the Reds to solidify their catching situation in 2027.

The Reds’ decision not to trade Tyler Stephenson at the deadline combined with Duno’s injury should be enough of a reason for Cincinnati to extend the team’s veteran catcher. Stephenson is set to hit free agency when the season comes to a close. If the Reds let him walk, they could be facing a dire situation at backstop.

The injury to Alfredo Duno should serve as a call to action for a Tyler Stephenson extension

Jose Trevino would take over the primary catching duties with P.J. Higgins or Will Banfield as a backup. The Reds would be settling for a significant reduction in offense (although an improvement on defense). For a team that has scored the fewest runs in the National League this season, that trade off is unthinkable.

Even if healthy, Duno wouldn’t have changed much about that scenario, but he was cruising through the minors and could have made a play for a late-season call-up in 2027.

With that in mind, the Reds could pursue James McCann or another veteran free agent with a serviceable bat to fill the space until Duno arrives, but if he’s off the table until 2028 or beyond, the Reds need to be thinking of multi-year deals.

Stephenson makes the most sense here. The only other high-profile catchers who could be on the market are Ryan Jeffers and William Contreras. Contreras has a one-year club option, so the Milwaukee Brewers may explore trading him like they did Freddy Peralta last winter. The Reds would have to compete with the New York Yankees for both Jeffers and Stephenson. If it comes down to money, we know how that will turn out.

Now’s the time for the Reds to make a move. Without the distractions and temptations of competing offers, Cincinnati could (and should) smooth the transition from Stephenson to Duno, no matter how long that takes.

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