Terry Francona’s favorite Reds player finally became too big a problem to ignore

Every manager has their favorite player, and for Cincinnati Reds skipper Terry Francona it was Santiago Espinal. But on Friday, Tito had to bid farewell to the struggling infielder after the Reds outrighted Espinal to Triple-A Louisville.

This was always going to be the case. When a veteran player hits a meager .243/.292/.282 with a 58 wRC+, the team is not going to reserve a spot for you on the offseason roster. Despite his struggles, however, Espinal found a way to appear in 114 games for the Reds during the 2025 season but was worth -0.3 fWAR.

After being outrighted to the minor leagues, Espinal can either accept the assignment and remain with the organization or reject the it and become a free agent. It's doubtful that any other team would offer Espinal a better chance to be part of an Opening Day roster next season, so it wouldn't be a shock to assume that he'll accept the minor league assignment.

Terry Francona’s favorite Reds player, Santiago Espinal, was outrighted to Triple-A

Espinal was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox and came to the Reds by way of an offseason trade with the Toronto Blue Jays prior to the start of the 2024 season. Most Reds fans will remember that Matt McLain suffered a shoulder injury that spring, and Cincinnati was scrambling at the last minute to find a suitable replacement at second base.

Espinal asserted himself as a glove-first utility player who could serve as both a second baseman and shortstop. This past season, however, his best defensive position might have been third base. Espinal was worth 3 outs above average (OAA) while manning the hot corner this past season.

Espinal's presence on the Reds' roster became a point of contention as the season waned, especially when it became painfully obvious that Sal Stewart's MLB debut was delayed until September in order to keep the former Gold Glove Award-winner on the active roster.

After outrighting Espinal and reliever Ian Gibaut to the minor leagues, the Reds 40-man roster now stands at 37. Look for a number of roster moves to be made in the days and weeks following the World Series.