Reds lose former top pitching prospect to Cubs in strange end-of-season roster move

The Cincinnati Reds appear to be getting a head start on the upcoming offseason. In a bizarre turn of events, MLB Trade Rumors is reporting the Chicago Cubs claimed former Reds' pitching prospect Julian Aguiar less than a week after he made his 2026 debut.

The Reds did not officially designate Aguiar for assignment, so it can be assumed that he was placed on outright waivers earlier this week. Cincinnati employed a similar strategy with Eugenio Suárez and TJ Friedl earlier this season, but neither player was claimed. This time, Cincinnati's NL Central rival stepped in and snagged the 25-year-old right-hander.

Aguiar was sidelined for the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September of 2024. He made the long trek back this season, but had multiple stints on the minor-league injured list. The right-hander was recalled on September 18 after Chase Burns landed on the 15-day IL with a groin strain, but was optioned back to Triple-A Louisville the following day.

Cubs claim Julian Aguiar on waivers as Reds get a head start on a busy offseason

Aguiar made his big-league debut in 2024. He stepped onto the mound seven times that year and ended his rookie campaign with a 6.25 ERA and 6.86 FIP, while striking out 19 across 31⅓ innings of work.

Aguiar spent almost all of the 2026 season with the Reds' Triple-A affiliate in Louisville. In total, he made 16 starts with the Louisville Bats and recorded 56 strikeouts over 58 innings. His longest outing of the season saw him go six innings in July when he allowed just two runs on two hits while striking out six.

Being that Aguiar was added to the Cubs roster after September 1, he'll be ineligible for Chicago's postseason roster. As MLBTR correctly points out, the Cubs could deploy Aguiar as their starter for Game 162 on Sunday in order to rest their starters for the Wild Card Series.

Aguiar is pre-arbitration eligible and has multiple minor-league options remaining, so the move is somewhat curious. But he won't be the only Reds' roster casualty in the coming weeks. In fact, he could be the first of many.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow