Report: Reds Place Two Veterans on Waivers in Surprising Move

The news broke just after midnight.

Aug 26, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Eugenio Suarez (28) is congratulated by teammates at home plate after hitting a grand slam during the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Reds won an absolute thriller on Wednesday afternoon, coming back from down six runs in the ninth, to beat the San Francisco Giants 10-9.

A big part of that ninth-inning comeback was Eugenio Suarez's grand slam to turn a 9-4 deficit into a one-run ballgame. It was Suarez's 19th home run of the season.

However, just a few hours later, the Reds made a surprising move.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Reds have placed Eugenio Suarez and TJ Friedl on outright waivers, giving the other 29 teams an opportunity to claim either player over the next 48 hours.

The decision comes less than seven months after Cincinnati signed Suarez to a one-year, $15 million deal with the expectation that he would provide some much-needed power to a team hoping to return to the postseason. Instead, both Suarez and Friedl have struggled this season as the Reds have fallen well short of those expectations.

The move gives the Reds a chance to save some money over the final weeks of the season. Suarez is still owed just under $3 million, while Friedl is owed a little more than $700,000, according to the report.

Both players can remain with the Reds if they go unclaimed, but the decision to place them on waivers is another sign that Cincinnati has begun looking toward the future after a disappointing season.

Reds Make Improbable Comeback Fueled by Rookie Hector Rordriguez

When the lineup came out for Wednesday’s series finale, there was a new face at the top of the order: rookie outfielder Hector Rodriguez.

The 22-year-old responded in a big way, finishing with three hits, including two home runs. His second homer was the most memorable, as Rodriguez sent a ball flying into McCovey Cove, becoming just the third Reds player ever to accomplish the feat.

That second home run came with the Reds trailing 9-3 in the ninth inning. Rodriguez crushed a 115 mph homer to cut the deficit to five and help spark an improbable comeback. Cincinnati went on to score seven runs in the inning to take a 10-9 lead.

After the game, Rodriguez talked about his memorable performance.

“Truly, it feels great. I never thought the ball was going to land that far,” Rodriguez told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon through an interpreter.

Reds manager Terry Francona also offered some praise of the young outfielder.

“He’s got such good hitter’s hands," Francona said. "If he can just relax and swing at strikes, he’ll do some damage.”