Reds News: Buck Farmer reunion foiled, Luke Maile joins AL contender, Matt McLain

The Cincinnati Reds first full-squad workout will be held on Monday, February 17th with the position players joining the pitchers and catchers on the diamond. Of course, the entire Reds roster has been present in Goodyear, Arizona for the past few days, but Monday's workout is the first official spring training practice for the entire team.

Nick Krall hasn't ruled out any additional upgrades to the Reds roster in the coming days, but any moves that are made will likely be of the minor-league variety. For all intents and purposes, some 26-player combination of the group that will take the field for the first full-squad workout in Goodyear will be introduced in front of a capacity crowd at Great American Ball Park on March 27th.

Reds News: Buck Farmer signed MiLB deal with Braves

One player who won't be joining the Reds in Goodyear is former reliever Buck Farmer. Many fans assumed that Farmer would find his way back to Cincinnati at some point this spring, but the two sides failed to come to an agreement and the right-hander is headed to the Atlanta Braves on a minor-league deal.

While it's rather surprising that Farmer did not receive a major-league offer — from the Reds or any other team — inking a deal with the Braves is a homecoming of sorts for the veteran reliever. Farmer was first selected by the Braves in the 46th round of the 2009 MLB Draft, but decided to attend Georgia Tech and was taken in the fifth round by the Detroit Tigers a few years later.

Farmer was one of the Reds best relievers in 2024. The soon-to-be 34-year-old made 61 appearances out of the Cincinnati bullpen and posted a 3.04 ERA across 71 innings of work. Without Farmer and Fernando Cruz, the backend of the Reds' bullpen will look quite different in 2025.

Reds News: Former catcher Luke Maile latches on with KC Royals

Former Reds catcher Luke Maile has found a new home after signing a minor-league pact with the Kansas City Royals. Maile had been the backup catcher to Tyler Stephenson the past two seasons, but after a dreadful 2024 campaign, the Reds chose not to exercise his club-option for the 2025 season.

Maile will be reunited with former teammate Jonathan India in KC, and if he's able to break camp with the Royals, it'll be his sixth major league stop during his nine-year career. Maile was one of the clubhouse leaders over the past two years, but his woeful production at the dish last season made him expendable. Cincinnati is looking for better production from their new backup catcher, Jose Trevino.

Reds News: Matt McLain is Cincy's starting second baseman

There had been some debate over the past few months about where Matt McLain would be lining up on Opening Day. Reds manager Terry Francona put the speculation to bed on Sunday after Charlie Goldsmith confirmed that McLain will be the Reds starting second baseman in 2025.

McLain played a number of positions during the Arizona Fall League last year, but it appears that the keystone will be his ultimate destination during the upcoming season. This does, of course, raise questions about Gavin Lux's role with the Reds. Both first and third base remain solid options for the former Los Angeles Dodgers infielder, and Lux could always log time as the Reds' DH as well.

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