Cincinnati Reds Lose Former Top Prospect to Division Rival in Latest Roster Move

The Chicago Cubs have acquired former top prospect Julian Aguiar on waivers on Saturday. Aguiar was the Cincinnati Reds' 13th-ranked prospect in 2025 before graduating from the list this season. In seven career starts with the Reds, he went 3-1 with a 6.23 ERA.

There was no announcement of him being designated for assignment after he was optioned to Triple-A on September 19. The news was reported by C. Trent Rosecrans and confirmed in a repost by the Reds' social media team.

An Unfavorable Journey To The Big Leagues

Sep 18, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Julian Aguiar throws against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Aguiar has an interesting story. Aguiar wasn’t a highly sought-after prospect, being the 311th-ranked right-handed pitcher in his class and 111th-ranked in the state of California. Aguiar wasn’t heavily recruited, so he would opt into the Junior College route and stay close to home in Long Beach. He features a fastball that touches 93, a slider, curveball, and changeup. Julian would attend El Camino College in 2020. He would appear in eight games with El Camino. He would go 5-0 with an ERA of 2.47 in seven starts. He would have 44 strikeouts in 47.1 innings pitched. Julian would pitch for Cypress College in 2021. He would have a higher ERA there, 4.38. Aguiar didn’t dominate at Cypress, but would pitch well enough to earn the opportunity with the Cincinnati Reds.

During the 2023 season in High-A, Aguiar would go 4-1 with a 1.92 ERA. Hitters would only bat .174 off him. He would strike out 77 and walk 24. He made his Major League debut in September of 2024 and pitched in seven games before he suffered a torn UCL that required Tommy John surgery. He missed all of the 2025 season and returned to pitch at Triple-A this season. Unfortunately, he didn't find much success at Triple-A, going 2-6 with a 6.05 ERA in 16 starts. He pitched in just one game with the Reds this season, allowing two runs over three innings before he was optioned back down.

The Cubs will need to make a corresponding roster move to accommodate Aguiar, with the 40-man roster being full.

The Reds Wrap Up A Long, Disappointing Season Over The Weekend

Cincinnati Reds Spencer Steer during a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Reds have two games left this season. They lost on Friday in what felt like typical fashion, leading the Blue Jays 5-2 going into the bottom of the seventh inning before Luis Mey walked the first two batters of the inning and allowed an RBI single to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The next batter reached on a fielder’s choice on an error from Oswaldo Cabrera. Kazuma Okamoto followed with a two-run double off new pitcher Pierce Johnson to tie the game, and Nathan Lukes followed with a go-ahead RBI single to take a 6-5 lead.

The Reds not only have the worst offense in Major League Baseball, ranking 25th or worse in nearly every category; they rank 27th in hits allowed, third in runs allowed, fifth in home runs allowed, last in walks, 23rd in strikeouts, 27th in batting average against, and 28th in ERA. Every part about the Reds, whether it's pitching or on offense, is ranked at the bottom of the league. The only positives from this season have been Sal Stewart, Elly De La Cruz, and Chase Burns; nothing else.

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