The Cincinnati Reds were busy Sunday night finalizing a deal that was technically announced after midnight and officially became a deal on Monday. The Reds and San Francisco Giants came together to finalize a deal that saw outfielder Austin Slater move to Cincinnati and left-handed reliever Alex Young move to the Giants organization. Cincinnati also gets an undisclosed amount of cash in the deal. Slater is set to make $4 million this year.
The Reds’ outfield is a bit of a mess right now. TJ Friedl and Nick Martini are both on the injured list, and Jake Fraley is on the family medical emergency list. Stuart Fairchild is on the active list, but manager David Bell noted Sunday that he’s dealing with a back problem.
Cincinnati seemed to want to add insurance for this by acquiring Austin Slater. He hit .257/.345/.412 for the Giants from 2021-2023. That’s good for a 110 OPS. This season, however, hasn’t gone so well. He missed nearly a month on the injured list. He was hitting just .128/.306/.128 in 25 games before being placed on the IL with a concussion.
He returned on June 5 and has hit much better — though it would be nearly impossible not to. In his first seven games, he’s gone 9-22 (.409) with a home run. Since then, he’s gone 4-29 (.138) with a double. Overall, he’s had 90 plate appearances this season and is hitting .200 with two extra-base hits. The 31-year-old right-handed hitter has never been known for his power, but he’s been completely impotent this year. Defensively, he’s gained experience at all three outfield positions in recent years and can cover you there. He’ll be a free agent after this season.
Here you can view Austin Slater’s career statistics.
Alex Young missed the start of the 2024 season. After a rehab assignment in Triple-A, he joined the Reds in late May. He made three appearances and threw 2.0 innings of shutout baseball before being sent down to the minor leagues. He’s been good this year in Louisville, posting a 1.19 ERA in 22.2 innings with 12 hits, seven walks and 22 strikeouts. Young won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2026 season.