Predicting 2025 Reds Opening Day lineup after signing Austin Hays

The Cincinnati Reds made a large section of their fanbase quite happy on Tuesday afternoon with reports that Austin Hays was signed to a one-year, $5 million deal. Reds Country has been begging for the front office to sign a right-handed hitting outfielder all offseason, and Nick Krall finally came through with less than a month left until the team heads to Goodyear for spring training.

Now Hays is not the "power-hitting" outfielder that many Reds fans were hoping for. Many of the Cincinnati faithful had hoped that a bat like Anthony Santander or Jurickson Profar would have been signed this offseason. But in typical Reds' fashion, Cincinnati turned their attention to an inexpensive outfielder looking to bounce back following a down-year.

With no real difference in his career-splits, Hays does not fit that prototypical platoon bat. But with Jake Fraley, TJ Friedl, and Will Benson already on the roster, the Reds needed an extra right-handed bat to balance out the lineup. Hays provides that.

Predicting 2025 Reds Opening Day lineup after signing Austin Hays

The 2025 Reds Opening Day lineup will depend greatly on who's is stepping onto the mound for the San Francisco Giants on March 27th. It's probably a tossup between right-handers Logan Webb and Justin Verlander or the left-handed throwing Robbie Ray.

Webb feels like the most likely candidate, which should prompt new manager Terry Francona to load up with a heavily-tilted left-handed hitting lineup. Regardless of the opposing pitcher, Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Tyler Stephenson, and Spencer Steer (in some order) should be in the Reds Opening Day lineup.

Reds 2025 Opening Day lineup vs. right-handed pitcher

The five spots in the Reds batting order that follow are not as clear cut. For now, when facing a right-hander, it's probable that Fraley, Friedl, Gavin Lux, and Jeimer Candelario will be in the lineup. A strong spring training could see Francona add right-handed hitting slugger Christian Encarnacion-Strand into the equation as well.

If, for some reason, Webb is sidelined on Opening Day, San Fran could decide to go with a southpaw. If Ray, a former Cy Young Award-winner, was to toe the rubber for the Giants, Francona would surely roll out a different starting lineup. McLain, De La Cruz, Stephenson (maybe Jose Trevino), and Steer would be in the lineup, but once again, the latter portion of the batting order will be very fluid.

Reds 2025 Opening Day lineup vs. left-handed pitcher

Encarnacion-Strand will get the nod against a lefty, and the switch-hitting Candelario will probably be given a long look as an everyday player coming out of spring training. Hays, the newest member of the Reds roster, will undoubtedly see time versus left-handers (and probably right-handers too). Both Santiago Espinal and Stuart Fairchild had success against left-handed pitching last season as well, and will get to take their licks in 2025 as well.

Obviously injuries and spring training performances will dictate who truly makes the Reds Opening Day roster, but the addition of Hays allows Cincinnati to send players like Benson, Noelvi Marte, and perhaps even Encarnacion-Strand to Triple-A Louisville to begin the 2025 season while still having a quality lineup in the big leagues.

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