Reds trade for former Mariners All-Star amid flurry of other roster moves

The Cincinnati Reds upgraded their roster on Monday afternoon with the addition of former Seattle Mariners first baseman. France, who was designated for assignment by the Seattle Mariners last week, was traded to Cincinnati in exchange for catcher Andruw Salcedo.

But that's not all. In addition to bringing France into the clubhouse, the Reds also placed catcher Austin Wynns on the 10-day injured list with a right teres major tear and selected the contract of minor league catcher Andrew Yang. In order to clear a roster spot for Yang, starter Graham Ashcraft was moved from the 15-day to the 60-day IL. Did you get all that?

Reds trade for Mariners 1B Ty France, move Graham Ashcraft to 60-day IL

The Reds needed to add a bat to their struggling lineup. The Cincinnati faithful have seen first hand just how bad the Reds offense has been in 2024. The Reds rank 19th in OPS this season, but 28th in batting average.

France is having a down-year. The 30-year-old is hitting just .223/.312/.350 after posting an OPS above .700 the past two seasons while playing in the Emerald City. A number of France's advanced metrics have fallen off a cliff, but the Reds are likely hoping that he bounces back to his All-Star form. France went to the Midsummer Classic in 2022 while hitting .274/.338/.436 with 20 home runs and 83 RBI.

France has generally kept his strikeout rate below 20% and could help to upgrade one of the Reds worst position groups this season. Reds' first baseman have a collective OPS of just .629 this season — good enough for 8th in the major leagues behind just the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros.

Jeimer Candelario has been a disappointment since signing a three-year deal with the Reds this past offseason. Fellow infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been out of the lineup for the past few months and is unlikely to return this season after undergoing wrist surgery. Spencer Steer has filled in at first base on occasion, but the Reds seem intent on keeping him in the outfield.

France is under team-control through the 2025 season and is making $6.7 million this season. Adding France seems to fit the idea of building for next season, while at the same time adding a player who can contribute immediately as well.

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