Reds may have quietly landed one of baseball’s best offseason steals

Drew Koch

Cincinnati Reds designated hitter JJ Bleday (22) hits a two-run home run / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

After being released by the Athletics this past offseason, JJ Bleday signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds. At the time, most Reds fans probably assumed this was just another in a long line of reclamation projects on the part of Nick Krall and the Cincinnati front office.

Fans have become numb to the Reds bringing retreads like Santiago Espinal, Gavin Lux, and Kevin Newman — players who once had above-average skills and a high ceiling, but had fallen short of expectations. More often than not, those types of acquisitions don't work out in the Reds' favor. But if Bleday continues to punish the opposition, he might break Cincinnati's string of tough luck.

JJ Bleday is leading the way for the Reds' offense

Bleday was a first-round draft selection of the Miami Marlins back in 2019, taken just a few picks before the Reds settled on Nick Lodolo. He was a standout at Vanderbilt University, and was part of the school's championship team in 2019. Most scouts raved about his all-fields approach at the plate and assumed he'd be a quick-study in the minor leagues.

Bleday took a little longer to develop than most assumed, and was part of a trade with the Athletics ahead of the 2023 season. He put up terrific numbers for the A's in 2024, but it all came crashing down last season. After posting a .243/.324/.437 slash line with a 120 wRC+ in 2024, he hit just .212/.294/.404 last season and was non-tendered in November.

Bleday nearly landed a spot on the Reds' 2026 Opening Day roster, but was optioned to Triple-A to begin the season. His .341/.462/.659 slash line with the Louisville Bats quickly forced the Reds' front office to pivot, and he was called up to the big leagues late last month.

“It’s just a breath of fresh air playing for this team and this organization.” JJ Bleday on making the most of his opportunity with Reds following 15-1 win over Washington Thursday pic.twitter.com/ds0hOvCp9z
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) May 14, 2026

Since his arrival, Bleday is hitting .321/.455/.755 through his first 16 games with the Reds. He's quickly earned Terry Francona's trust, and is now slotted in the heart of the team's batting order. After starting 2-for-12 through his first four games, Bleday's gone 15-for-54 (.341) with more walks (10) than strikeouts (9).

No one expects Bleday to keep up this torrid pace, but there's little doubt that he's become a key cog in the Reds' lineup, and may well become the biggest steal of the offseason. He's still just 28 years old and under team control through the 2028 season. It's still early, but signing Bleday could be one of Krall's best bargain additions to date.

Drew Koch

Drew Koch has been an MLB Staff Writer since January 2024 and part of the FanSided Network since June 2018. Drew's contributions have been published on Blog Red Machine, Friars on Base, BoSox Injection, Lombardi Avenue, Wildcat Blue Nation, Motor City Bengals, and many other sites within the FanSided Network. When he's not cheering wildly for the Cincinnati Reds or the Kentucky Wildcats, Drew enjoys fishing, golfing, playing cribbage and other card games, listening to country and classical music, and spending time with his family and friends.