Matt McLain's most impactful move happened off the field during Reds spring training

Everyone in the Queen City is excited to see Matt McLain return to the field in 2025. McLain was arguably the Cincinnati Reds' best player during his rookie season in 2023, but a shoulder injury sidelined the 25-year-old infielder for his entire sophomore season.

But while McLain's on-field exploits are what everyone in Reds Country is excited to see, the former first-round pick made a rather significant off-the-field decision this year. According to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel, McLain has shed his relationship with MLB super-agent Scott Boras and will now be represented by Vayner Baseball.

Vayner represents numerous other big leaguers like Ramon Laureano, Justin Turner, and former Reds outfielders Tommy Pham and Harrison Bader. Reds' top pitching prospect Chase Burns is also represented by Vayner Baseball.

Reds 2B Matt McLain sheds ties with Scott Boras

But why is this move so important? Well, with Boras no longer acting as McLain's representation, perhaps the Reds will have a legitimate opportunity to sign the highly-skilled infielder to a long-term contract extension some time in the near future.

Boras, who currently represents Reds' superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz, is known to avoid long-term contract talks — especially with small market clubs like Cincinnati. One of the biggest reasons many Reds fans assume that De La Cruz will eventually flee the city of Cincinnati is due to Boras' influence.

Given McLain's injury history, it may behoove him to sign a long-term deal. The Reds would also reap the rewards of such a contract, likely inking McLain to a relative bargain if he plays up to his potential.

McLain spoke about his long-term plans earlier this offseason, but avoided the subject of a contract extension with the Reds. Seeing as how he's coming off an injury-plagued season, there's no doubt that McLain would be in line for a much more lucrative deal if it came on the heels of a bounce-back season.

While unlikely to sign a long-term contract this spring, the fact that McLain will no longer be represented by Boras at least offers hope that future negotiations could take place. The Reds will need to start making some decisions about which members of their core they hope to keep around for the long haul. Inking McLain to a contract extension would be a good place to start.

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