Reds delayed promoting Sal Stewart and the reason why should infuriate fans

The Cincinnati Reds are finally calling up Sal Stewart. According to multiple reports, the Reds plan to promote Stewart to the big leagues when roster expand on September 1. Cincinnati signaled their intentions on Sunday after outrighting Connor Joe off the 40-man roster to make room for their top prospect.

But why did the Reds wait so long? Stewart could've been called up weeks ago without affecting his rookie status for the 2026 season, so that's not the reason. There have been questions about his glove, but Cincinnati could've always hidden his defensive deficiencies by slotting him into the lineup as the designated hitter.

The truth of the matter is painfully obvious, and while the Reds won't say it publicly, the reason that Stewart's promotion to the big leagues was delayed was due to the presence of Santiago Espinal.

Reds delayed promoting Sal Stewart and the reason why should infuriate fans

A former All-Star, Espinal has been a personal favorite of Reds manager Terry Francona this season, but has been absolutely dreadful at the plate. Despite hitting .245/.295/.285 with a 59 wRC+, Espinal has still managed to sneak into the Reds lineup with regularity. He's appeared in 109 games and has 325 plate appearances on the season.

If the Reds decided to promote Stewart to the major leagues prior to rosters expanding in September, they would've been forced to remove a player from the active roster and Espinal was the most obvious candidate.

Espinal, however, is out of minor-league options, and Cincinnati would've had to designate him for assignment in order to clear a spot. Instead, the Reds' brass decided to keep the veteran infielder on the roster, all the while watching their top prospect tear the cover off the ball at Triple-A.

Nick Krall and Cincinnati's front office will undoubtedly attempt to explain away the reason(s) for delaying Stewart's promotion — talking about the need for him to get extra at-bats in the minors and try his hand at multiple positions — but that's simply a way to hide the real reason for dragging their feet.

The Reds could've had Stewart's bat in the everyday lineup prior to their 10-day road trip out west (or even before the team's home series against the St. Louis Cardinals). Would it have made a difference? Who knows. What we do know is that Espinal has appeared in seven games since the Reds' West Coast swing and is just 2-for-14 with a pair of singles.

If the Reds' loyalty to a struggling veteran — one who hasn't even been part of the organization for two seasons — is the true reason Cincinnati delayed Stewart's promotion, the front office should be ashamed. The Reds' devotion to Espinal could, in fact, cost them a spot in the MLB Postseason.

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