The Reds have signed outfielder JJ Bleday, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray. MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon adds that the contract is a big league deal. Bleday is represented by Excel Sports Management.
Selected fourth overall by the Marlins in the 2019 draft, it looked like Bleday had broken out in 2024, when he hit .243/.324/.437 with 20 homers over 642 plate appearances during the Athletics’ final season in Oakland. This 120 wRC+ at the plate was enough to power Bleday to 3.2 fWAR during the season, despite some very rough (-19 Defensive Runs Saved, -3 Outs Above Average) reviews of his defensive performance in center field.
One would’ve expected that, if anything, Bleday’s bat would’ve become even more potent as the A’s moved to Sutter Health Park, yet he instead struggled through a brutal 2025 campaign. Bleday delivered only a 90 wRC+ from a .212/.294/.404 slash line and 14 homers over 344 PA, and he played in just 98 big league games as he was twice demoted to Triple-A. Bleday’s barrel numbers and strikeout rate both dropped off considerably from 2024, falling to below-average marks. The A’s moved Bleday out of center field, but his glovework was still passable at best as a corner outfielder.
MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Bleday to earn $2.2MM in his first of three trips through the arbitration process. The Athletics chose to move on entirely by designating Bleday for assignment in November and then cutting him loose at the non-tender deadline. The Reds now have three years of team control over Bleday, and since he has a minor league option remaining, Cincinnati can send him back to down to Triple-A if necessary.
More to come…
