Reds are out of excuses with Tyler Stephenson after his latest reminder

The debate has raged for several years now, and, so far, the Cincinnati Reds have failed to act. But after Tyler Stephenson's game-tying home run on Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the debate is finally over. The Reds must extend Stephenson this offseason.

The Reds have just three players — Hunter Greene, Ke'Bryan Hayes, and Jose Trevino — under contract beyond the 2025 season. Of course there are numerous others like Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte, and Andrew Abbott, who are under team control beyond 2026, but in terms of long-term deals, Greene, Hayes, and Trevino are the only ones.

That needs to change this offseason, Stephenson's name (along with starting pitcher Brady Singer) needs to be atop the list. Unlike most of the players on the Reds 40-man roster, Stephenson has just one year of arbitration eligibility remaining, meaning he'll be a free agent after next season.

Reds are out of excuses to sign Tyler Stephenson to a long-term contract

Trevino looked like an everyday player at the beginning of the season, but he's faded into the background since the All-Star break. After July 12, Trevino is hitting just .183/.216/.212 with a 12 wRC+. There is no way the Reds can hitch their wagon to Trevino as the everyday backstop in 2027.

While the Reds have one of the best young catching prospects in Alfredo Duno, but there are serious concerns about his ability to stick behind the plate. Furthermore, developing a catcher takes time, and Duno is still just 19 years old. While he certainly has immense potential, it's foolish to think Duno will be in the big leagues before 2028 — at the earliest.

Which brings us back to Stephenson. At the moment, he's the longest tenured Reds player, has shown tremendous leadership ability over the years, is well liked by the entire pitching staff, and brings something few backstops do — power. Since his return earlier this month, Stephenson owns a .650 slugging percentage and has seven extra-base hits, including four homers.

Stephenson has his flaws, to be sure, but he's been one of the best blockers behind the dish this season. With the implementation of the ABS challenge system in 2026, his framing should no longer be a huge concern.

Catcher is one of the few positions where having a defense-first player is acceptable. But with Hayes already taking that role at third base, Cincinnati can ill afford to have multiple glove-first players on the roster who can't hit.

Stephenson embodies everything the Reds fanbase could want from a veteran player, and he's earned that contract extension that, to this point, the front office has been unwilling to hand over. Will Cincinnati's ownership make that commitment this winter? We'll have to wait and see.

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