One Reds player is officially off the trade block and fans can breathe easy

There's a handful of players on the Cincinnati Reds roster who some fans have feared could be dangled in a trade this winter. Many fans believe the organization's search for a big-time power hitter could lead Cincinnati to trade someone from the 40-man roster, and a player that many have circled is TJ Friedl.

It appears, however, that those fears were greatly exaggerated. According to The Athletic (subscription required), the Reds are not entertaining the idea of trading centerfielder TJ Friedl this offseason. That is certainly a welcome relief for those fans who are hoping to see Friedl in center field on Opening Day.

Though Friedl showed signs of slowing down over the second-half of the 2025 season, he still led the team in on-base percentage (.364) and was a spark plug atop the Reds batting order. Friedl finished the year hitting .261/.364/.378 with 14 home runs and a 109 wRC+. He was third on the team with 12 stolen bases and ranked sixth among all MLB players having been hit by pitch 16 times in 2025.

Reds outfielder TJ Friedl is unlikely to be traded this offseason

Many fans forget that Friedl was putting up All-Star numbers through May last season. After the first two months of the season, the Reds centerfielder was hitting .305/.388/.427 with four homers and a 126 wRC+. And though he cooled off a little bit, Friedl was still playing at a very high level through the month of June (.283/.370/.415).

And even though Friedl's production began to slip during the month of July (.211/.375/.329), he was still reaching base nearly 40% of his at-bats. He limped through August while still maintaining an on-base percentage above .345, and ended the season with a bit of a power surge hitting .237/.355/.409 with a 113 wRC+.

Even after adding JJ Bleday and Dane Myers, the Reds are still said to be in the market for an outfielder. But fans needn't worry about such an addition taking Friedl's spot on the roster. It's possible, however, that adding a centerfielder could shift Friedl to left field where his below-average arm strength would profile much better.

Friedl's on-field production is noticeable, but it's the intangibles that have made him a fan-favorite in Cincinnati. Friedl will do whatever it takes to get on base, hustles out of the box, and maximizes his ability through pure grit and determination. He's also a leader in the clubhouse, and Reds fans can rest easy knowing he'll be patrolling the outfield in Great American Ball Park next season.