Reds News: Cincy reunites with lefty reliever, ex-outfielder retires, Cam Collier

The MLB offseason is slowly winding down, and before you know it the Cincinnati Reds will head to Goodyear for spring training under their new manager Terry Francona. The Reds reportedly have some more money to spend this winter following the announcement of the team's new TV deal with FanDuel Sports Network, but to date, haven't made a free agent splash.

Reds fans are eager to get the 2025 campaign underway, but there are still some holes on the roster. While the outfield remains a point of contention among the fanbase, the relief corps has yet to be addressed this offseason. But on Monday, the Reds made a minor addition that could have an impact during the upcoming season.

Reds News: Cincy reunites with LHP Alex Young on minor-league deal

Alex Young has agreed to a minor-league deal with the Reds according to New York Post columnist Jon Heyman. The deal includes an invite to spring training, and given Young's track record, the lefty has a tremendous chance to find his way onto the Reds Opening Day roster

A.Y. has been a solid big league contributor the past few seasons. An Ohio native, Young joined the Reds on a minor-league deal back in 2023. An injury last spring kept him on the shelf for the first few months, and Young was eventually traded to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Austin Slater.

Young was later let go by San Fran and landed back on his feet with the New York Mets. Over the past three seasons, Young is 5-3 with a 3.28 ERA over 96 innings of work. Cincinnati has two other lefty relievers on the 40-man roster — Brent Suter and Sam Moll.

Reds News: Former utility outfielder Josh VanMeter retires from baseball

Josh VanMeter took to social media on Monday to announce his retirement from baseball. In his statement, the former Reds utility player wrote, "There comes a time in every player's career when you have played your game. That time has come for me."

VanMeter broke into the big leagues with Cincinnati in 2019. A long time prospect for both the Reds and San Diego Padres, VanMeter revealed some unexpected pop during his first season with the Reds, launching eight home runs in 228 at-bats while playing all over the diamond. VanMeter was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks the following year along with current Reds outfielder Stuart Fairchild in exchange for reliever Archie Bradley.

VanMeter bounced around major and minor leagues for a few more seasons, spending time with three other organizations, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, and Milwaukee Brewers. VanMeter closed out his career with a .640 OPS and 19 home runs covering four major league seasons.

Reds News: Cam Collier ranks among top 3B prospects in MLB

Reds fans are expecting big things from former first-round pick Cam Collier. Apparently, so are the contributors over at MLB Pipeline. The outlet considers Collier one of the top-10 third base prospects in baseball, ranking him fifth overall behind Coby Mayo, Matt Shaw, Cam Smith, and Brayden Taylor.

Collier made great strides in 2024, and the fanbase is hoping that success carries over into 2025. Collier fell to the Reds in the 2022 MLB Draft, and after cutting his teeth in Low-A during the 2023 season, Collier made his mark last season with a .248/.355/.443 slash line and 20 homers in 119 games at High-A Dayton and top honors at the 2024 MLB Futures Game.

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