Reds quietly restore beloved outfielder after surprising DFA twist

In a bit of a surprise, outfielder Will Benson cleared waivers and accepted a minor-league assignment with the Cincinnati Reds' Triple-A affiliate in Louisville. In other words, he's still part of the Reds organization.

Benson was designated for assignment last week in order to make room for Hunter Greene's return from the 60-day injured list. Greene had been out of action since the 2026 season began after undergoing elbow surgery in March, but after being activated from the IL, the Reds needed a spot on the 40-man roster. They made the unpopular decision to DFA Benson in order to free up a spot.

Will Benson returns to the Reds after being DFA'd last week

Typically, this type of roster move results in a waiver claim or even a trade. It would appear, however, that no other team saw much upside in Benson, and he was able to pass through waivers. He had been optioned to Triple-A Louisville earlier this season, and will be back in the Derby City once again.

Benson broke camp with the Reds this spring and appeared in 51 games this season before being optioned back to Triple-A in June. In 114 plate appearances, Benson owned a .188/.310/.333 slash line with three home runs, six RBI, and a 76 wRC+. During his six games with the Louisville Bats, Benson was hitting .368/.429/.368 with a 122 wRC+.

Benson's problem has always been strikeouts, and they reared their ugly head once again in 2026. After posting a 26.5% strikeout rate in 2025, that number jumped to 33.3% this season. It's difficult to justify keeping a player on the 40-man roster when he strikes out once every three at-bats.

But Benson has some enviable tools that make GMs drool, not the least of which is his prodigious power. The former first-round pick has a career .410 slugging percentage and also has above-average speed. He hasn't swiped many bases since 2024, but his wheels have allowed him to track down balls in the outfield and serve as a pinch runner late in games.

Keeping Benson around allows the Reds to be a bit more bullish at the upcoming trade deadline. If Cincinnati attempts to sell high on the likes of Spencer Steer or JJ Bleday, knowing they have Benson waiting in the wings could offer the Reds a bit of a cushion to make some bold moves ahead of the August 3 deadline.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow