The Cincinnati Reds have made a move to bolster their roster as they fight to make the playoffs. The team announced on Thursday that they have claimed outfielders Harrison Bader and Hunter Renfroe off waivers.
The Reds were looking to add both offensive and pitching help for the final month of the regular season. While they were unsuccessful in acquiring pitching help, they were able to add two established veterans to their outfield.
“We feel we have two solid players to add to our offense and can help contribute and make our defense better in the outfield as well,” said Reds general manager Nick Krall. “There’s a chance we’ve got two guys who can help us score some more runs and get us where we need to go.”
Harrison Bader, 27, is a familiar face in the National League Central division after spending six seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. He is a career .244 hitter with 59 home runs and 214 RBIs. Bader has a .643 OPS in 84 games with the New York Yankees this year and is owed roughly $783,000 for the remainder of the season.
“I’m very excited to be joining a club that’s in their position,” Bader said. “I have a lot of familiarity with not only the Reds but their division as well, a lot of the opponents that they have. I’ve already checked the schedule, so I’m just excited to go out there and play meaningful baseball down the stretch here.”
Hunter Renfroe, 31, brings power to the Reds lineup with his career .240 batting average, 176 home runs, and 450 RBIs. He posted a .737 OPS with 19 homers for the Los Angeles Angels this season. Renfroe is owed about $1.98 million from his $11.9 million salary for 2023. Both Renfroe and Bader’s contracts expire at the end of the season.
The Reds will have to make adjustments to their outfield alignment to accommodate the new additions. They also plan to activate outfielder Jake Fraley from the injured list on Friday, although he will initially be used only as a designated hitter due to a fractured toe on his left foot.
In corresponding moves, the Reds designated utility player Alejo Lopez and outfielder Michael Siani for assignment to make room for Bader and Renfroe on the 40-man roster. While active rosters expand to 28 players in September, one more player’s removal is still pending.
The Reds, who were leading the National League Central division at the beginning of August, have since fallen to third place and are six games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. They are currently one game behind the San Francisco Giants for the final NL Wild Card spot.
The team has until Thursday night to make any further roster additions to ensure eligibility for the postseason.