Reds News: Edwin Arroyo's 2025 trajectory, Connor Phillips falters, Redsfest canceled

The Cincinnati Reds, and 25 other Major League Baseball organizations, have already gotten a head start on the 2024-25 offseason. While the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Cleveland Guardians are battling it out in the MLB Postseason, the Reds are prepping for what fans hope will be a playoff run in 2025.

Among the things Cincinnati needs to do in order to make a leap from pretender to contender is get healthy. A number of Reds players hit the injured list this past season, but thanks to the Arizona Fall League, a handful of Cincinnati's top talent are gaining extra reps while playing for the Glendale Desert Dogs this month.

Reds News: Edwin Arroyo set to begin 2025 at Double-A Chattanooga

Edwin Arroyo missed his entire 2024 season due to shoulder surgery. One of the Reds top prospects, Arroyo suffered a torn labrum this past spring and missed a year's worth of development in the Reds' farm system. According to Reds GM Brad Meador, Arroyo will be right back where he started once the 2025 season begins.

Arroyo is currently putting in the work in the Arizona Fall League, and while he'll likely be part of Major League camp next February in Goodyear, Meador said that the slick-fielding shortstop will likely begin the year in Double-A. "He finished in Double-A, that’s probably where he starts," Meador said. "How fast does he get here? I don’t know. We’ll have to see how he looks."

Reds News: Connor Phillips continues to struggle

Many Reds fans were encouraged after Connor Phillips' first AFL start last week. The Reds prospect performed so well that he earned Pitcher of the Week honors. But after his performance on Wednesday, there's no shot of a repeat.

Phillips was out of sync yet again and allowed eight earned runs on seven hits through just 2 1/3 innings of work. Phillips was done after just 63 pitches in which he walked two batters and struck out three. Phillips needs a strong showing in the AFL in order to maintain his status on the Reds' 40-man roster, but it's looking more and more like the right-hander will eventually move from the rotation to the bullpen.

Reds News: RedsFest canceled due to renovations

One of the best weekends of the year for Reds fans will not take place this winter. RedsFest, an annual fan event featuring games, player interactions, interviews, and autographs sessions has been canceled.

The Duke Energy Convention Center — where the event is normally held — is under construction. RedsFest was canceled in both 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but returned to downtown Cincinnati in 2022. Hopefully the renovations will be complete by next December so the annual fan event can take place unabated in 2025.

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