The Cincinnati Reds reached agreements with six players Friday to avoid arbitration hearings, which brings their 2023 payroll into a clearer focus.
There were seven arbitration-eligible players on the Reds’ roster, but reliever Buck Farmer reached an agreement on a one-year, $1.725 million deal to avoid arbitration in November. The six players who came to agreements Friday were shortstop Kevin Newman ($2.6625 million), right-hander Luis Cessa ($2.65 million), center fielder Nick Senzel ($1.95 million), right-hander Lucas Sims ($1.2675 million), right-hander Justin Dunn ($900,000) and right-hander Tejay Antone ($770,000).
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"Our goal is to get solutions and you want to make sure guys are happy coming into camp, there's no animosity on either side," Reds General Manager Nick Krall said. "I think for us, we treat the process as something that I'm not trying to fight with you, but if we do have a fundamental disagreement, this is what our disagreement is. But we were able to get all of our cases resolved today, which is great."
Farmer and Cessa are eligible to become free agents after the 2023 season. Sims and Newman have two seasons remaining under team control before reaching free agency while Senzel, Dunn and Antone are under team control for three more seasons.
The Reds’ projected payroll for the 2023 season currently sits around $80 million, a sharp drop after it sat around $110 million last year.
It’s the third time in the last four years the Reds settled with all their arbitration-eligible players before a hearing. Sims lost his arbitration case last summer when he argued for a $1.6 million salary and the Reds countered at $1.2 million.
Friday was MLB’s deadline for all teams to exchange salary figures with players. Most teams employ a file-and-trial approach where they won’t negotiate after Friday. Players must have three years to five years of service time, except in special cases, to become eligible for arbitration. Players who have fewer than three years generally are paid around the league minimum.
The Reds didn’t tender contracts to four arbitration-eligible players in November: outfielder Aristides Aquino, reliever Jeff Hoffman, catcher Aramis Garcia and reliever Derek Law.
Some notable former Reds players who avoided arbitration Friday included shortstop Kyle Farmer ($5.585 million, Minnesota Twins), starting pitcher Tyler Mahle ($7.5 million, Twins) and reliever Amir Garrett ($2.65 million, Kansas City Royals). Luis Castillo (Seattle Mariners) and Jesse Winker (Milwaukee Brewers) already signed deals that covered the 2023 season last year.
Wil Myers, Luke Maile pick numbers for 2023 season
The latest Reds roster includes jersey numbers assigned for the upcoming season. Wil Myers, who signed the largest free agent contract this winter, will wear No. 4 after he wore No. 5 for the past two seasons in San Diego.
Catcher Luke Maile, a Covington Catholic product, will wear No. 22 after signing his one-year contract with the Reds this winter, and fellow catcher Curt Casali will return to wearing No. 12.
Infielder Spencer Steer, who made his MLB debut in September, switched to No. 7, outfielder Michael Siani switched to No. 38 and Dunn will wear No. 49.
Top prospect Elly De La Cruz will wear No. 44 in his first big league spring training, though camp numbers are always subject to change before a player makes his MLB debut.
Nonroster invitees to spring training
Outfielder Henry Ramos signed a minor league contract with the Reds on Thursday, which included an invite to spring training. Ramos, who played in Korea last year, is the Reds’ 12th nonroster invitee to camp.
Ramos, who is the older brother of San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos, played in 18 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2021. He hit .200 in 50 at-bats with one homer and two doubles.
The other 11 nonroster invitees to camp, at this point, include pitchers Silvino Bracho, Alan Busenitz, Daniel Duarte, Tayron Guerrero, Kevin Herget, Ben Lively and Jared Solomon, catchers Jhonny Pereda, Chuckie Robinson and Austin Romine, and outfielder Allan Cerda.
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