Reds front office shouldn't waste a phone call on Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras

If a team is willing to give up on player before Memorial Day, it's generally a good indicator that he's probably not worth the investment. That's exactly the rationale the Cincinnati Reds should have when it comes to Texas Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras who was placed on outright waivers over the weekend. For some reason, several Reds fans are clamoring for Cincinnati to bid on Taveras' services, but Nick Krall shouldn't even pick up the phone.

Unlike a player who's been designated a player for assignment, Taveras can continue playing for Texas while on outright waivers. If a team submits a claim, Taveras will then join his new team and they'll be responsible for the remainder of his $4.75 million salary. The speedy outfielder is still under team control through the 2027 season.

While Cincinnati's outfield — especially without Austin Hays — could use a pick-me-up, that's not going to come from Taveras who's hitting just .241/.259/.342 and has career 84 wRC+. The Reds would be better off just recalling Will Benson or Jacob Hurtubise.

Reds shouldn't waste a phone call on Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras

The Reds offense has been lagging behind the pitching all season, but adding Taveras will do nothing to help in that area. Though Taveras is a fine defender with plenty of speed on the base paths, the Reds have about a dozen of those types of players scattered throughout the minor leagues and on the 40-man roster. In addition to the two aforementioned players at Triple-A, Cincinnati also has TJ Frield, Jake Fraley, and Blake Dunn.

Hays is the only real impact bat among the outfielders on Cincinnati's roster, though Friedl has had his moments over the years as well. The Reds also have Rece Hinds crushing baseballs down on the farm, and if Krall and Co. really wanted to make a splash, they should recall the power-hitting outfielder.

As for Taveras, he'll inevitably draw some attention from a handful of teams. His best season was during the Rangers' run to the World Series in 2023. That year, Taveras hit .266/.312/.421 with a 101 OPS. But since that time, he's posted an unimpressive .231/.285/.351 slash line with 13 home runs, 52 RBI, and 29 stolen bases.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal notes that Taveras can elect free agency, but in doing so, would forfeit his 2025 salary. If that happens, then perhaps the Reds could take a flier on the 26-year-old. But with the Reds current roster, it makes little to no sense to pluck Taveras off waivers. He's out of minor-league options and would require a spot on the Reds 40-man roster.

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