Former All-Star elects free agency amid of flurry of Reds' roster moves

The Cincinnati Reds only have so many roster spots, and only Friday, found out how that whittle that number down to 39. The Reds lost former second-round pick Christian Roa to the Miami Marlins and also outrighted Ty France, Tejay Antone, Nick Martini, and Austin Wynns. Both France and Martini elected free agency, while Antone accepted the outright assignment to Triple-A Louisville.

France is arguably the biggest name from that group. The former Seattle Mariners slugger came over at the MLB trade deadline and put up some nice stats in August. But shortly after the calendar flipped to September, France fell off a cliff. The veteran was owed a pay raise through arbitration this winter, but Cincinnati preferred to keep the books a little cleaner without his estimated $8 million salary weighing down the payroll.

Some Reds fans may be a little shocked to see Antone's name in the mix as well. A fan favorite, Antone will be attempting to come back from his third Tommy John surgery next season. By outrighting Antone to the minor leagues, the right-hander can remain with the organization but won't take up a spot on the 40-man roster.

Ty France & Nick Martini elect free agency amid of flurry of Reds' roster moves

LIke France, by refusing his outright assignment, Martini now becomes a free agent. A surprising addition to the Reds' Opening Day roster, Martini hit the first home run of the season for Cincinnati in 2024. The journeyman could look to return to the Reds on a minor-league contract next season, but for now it appears he'll see if another club is willing to offer him a big league deal.

As for Wynns, it's not yet clear whether he'll be back with the Reds organization in 2025 or not. A fine defender, Wynns offers little in the batters' box, and would little more than organizational depth if he accepts an outright assignment to the minor leagues.

Look for more roster moves in the coming days. The Reds still need to decide whether or not to exercise the club options for both Brent Suter and Luke Maile, and Jacob Junis, Emilio Pagán, and Nick Martinez have some impending decisions to make as well.

More Cincinnati Reds News and Rumors