TJ Friedl's disappointing Reds season could have painful offseason consequences

Coming into the 2026 season, the Cincinnati Reds seemed to have the perfect leadoff man. Though he wasn't a star, TJ Friedl put together a solid 2025 campaign in which he hit .261/.364/.378. He brought plate discipline (11.8% walk rate), solid contact skills, and some base-stealing prowess, combined with just enough power to not be a pushover.

This season, Friedl has been anything but that. The 31-year-old is hitting just .158/.242/.237 through 71 games. His walk rate is down, his strikeout rate is up, and any semblance of power he had has completely evaporated with just three homers on the season.

In the blink of an eye, Friedl's gone from the invaluable engine doing all the dirty work to a complete and total liability in all facets of the game. Friedl posted 2.9 fWAR last season, and this year he's subtracted 0.9 fWAR from Cincinnati's cause.

The Reds have tried everything to get him back on track. The club sent him down to Triple-A Louisville to regain his confidence and manager Terry Francona has said all the right things to the media. If anything, the situation has gotten worse, not better, and it could force the Reds to non-tender the outfielder this offseason.

TJ Friedl is trending toward a non-tender as the Reds season winds down

Friedl doesn't hit free agency until 2029, but that level of team control shouldn't be enough to save him from the chopping block this offseason. Friedl is in his first year of arbitration and is taking home $3.8 million. He won't be in line for a big raise, but it's still money that the Reds can better spend elsewhere.

The organization doesn't have much in the way of young outfielders to take the reins, but there are options. Dane Myers has shown flashes since taking over in center field and Reds fans are getting an early look at top prospect Héctor Rodriguez. The Reds also have Carlos Jorge toiling in Triple-A at the moment. The 22-year-old could be in line for a September call-up.

If Friedl's time in Cincinnati comes to a close this winter, it would mark a sad end for a player who overcame the odds to become a competent piece of the Reds roster for the past few seasons. Unfortunately, his future in the Queen City is trending in the wrong direction.

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