The Cincinnati Reds have already made a massive improvement to their organization. After manager David Bell was fired late in the season, Cincinnati coaxed legendary manager Terry Francona out of retirement and signed him to a three-year contract with a club option in 2028.
On Nov. 1, Cincinnati announced a plethora of roster moves to continue their active offseason.
The team announced that they were reinstating pitcher Tejay Antone and catcher Austin Wynns from the 60 day injured list and outrighting them to Triple-A Louisville. They also announced that infielder Ty France and outfielder Nick Martini were being outrighted to Triple-A Louisville alongside the other two.
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
All players cleared waivers. France and Martini both elected free agency while Antone accepted his assignment. Pitcher Christian Roa was claimed off waivers by the Miami Marlins.
France slashed .251/.292/.391 in 52 games with the Reds last year after being traded over from the Seattle Mariners.
Martini battled injuries and only played in 52 games last year. In those games, he hit five home runs, four doubles and posted a .641 OPS.
Antone has been recovering from Tommy John surgery after he was injured on April 7. It’s the third elbow surgery of his baseball career, but Antone reportedly remains optimistic and persistent that he’ll be back in the big leagues again.
Cincinnati’s offseason is just getting starter. Under Francona, they’ll likely be a bit more urgent in free agency. Francona wouldn’t be coming out of retirement to manage a losing club. He, alongside the rest of Cincinnati, wants to win and will do whatever it takes to get there.
More MLB: Legend Of Nice Guy José Ramirez Grows As Influencer Shares Feel-Good Story