Tyler Stephenson Earns Big Pay Raise After Winning Arbitration Against the Reds

Tyler Stephenson won his arbitration case against the Reds, according to The Enquirer's Gordon Wittenmyer.

This means he will be $6.8 million in 2026. The Reds filed at $6.55 million. He made $4,925,000 last season. It's quite the pay increase for Stephenson, who is in the last year of team control.

Stephenson, 29, had a down year last offensively, slashing .231/.316/.421 with 31 extra-base hits in 88 games. While it was a down year for him, his OPS was still well above league average for catchers.

The veteran will turn 30 in August and is elligible to become a free agent after the season.

Stephenson was drafted by the Reds in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of Kennesaw Mountain High School in Georgia. He made his MLB debut on July 27, 2020, at age 23, where he went 2-2, including a home run in his first big league at-bat. In 2021, Stephenson finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting.

The Reds extended Jose Trevino to a three-year, $15 million deal last spring. It'll be interesting to see if the Reds look to extend Stephenson, trade him, or let him walk in free agency.

Graham Ashcraft also won his arbitration hearing against the Reds, which means the players went 2-0 against the team this offseason.

You can see Wittenmyer's full post below:

Tyler Stephenson won his arbitration case vs. Reds. Will get $6.8 million (vs. $6.55m team filing). Reds players went 2-0 vs. team in arb.
— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubMLB) February 10, 2026