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Eugenio Suarez may have been the home run signing of the 2026 offseason for the Reds, but there’s another guy who you shouldn’t sleep on according to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon.
That man is Reds outfielder Dane Myers.
Cincinnati acquired Myers from the Miami Marlins in late December 2025 in exchange for minor-league outfielder Ethan O’Donnell. It was a move that Terry Francona specifically praised when asked about it this past weekend. In 2025, Myers hit .235 with six home runs in 106 games and has a career .245/.299/.354 slash line over parts of three MLB seasons. He posted a 0.5 WAR last year, largely on the strength of his defense (at 3 OAA in center field along with an arm strength in the 97th percentile) and base running value (with a sprint speed in the 76th percentile).
Sheldon notes that Myers lines up very well to be a platoon bat to spell TJ Friedl in centerfield. A quality backup there would be very welcome considering his injury history after missing 24 games in 2023 and 77 games in 2024. He’s got a great chance to make the opening day roster with the tools he can bring to the game.
The Reds are doing their best to cobble together a competitive outfield for this season. Friedl looks to be a lock in centerfield but there are plenty of questions everywhere else. Noelvi Marte has the inside edge in right, but his rough finish to 2025 does leave room for doubt.
There’s a patchwork of other players in the mix for a spot outside of Myers. Those include fan favorite Will Benson, young prospects Rece Hinds and Blake Dunn, acquisition JJ Bleday, and dark horse Michael Toglia who had 24 big home runs in 2024 with the Colorado Rockies.
There is so much to sort out at one of the weakest position groups for the Reds. But the Spring will certainly go a long way to tell the tale of whether they can find the right mix of players to be competitive.
Other Notes from The Start of Spring Training
As the Reds open up spring training we’ve finally gotten to see some of our favorite stars take the diamond and they’ve not disappointed. Matt McLain is definitely under the microscope this spring and in his first game he didn’t disappoint, going 2-3 with a double and two RBIs. Elly De La Cruz also ripped a pair of doubles of his own, both over 100 MPH in exit velocity showing that his added muscle is already paying off.
Will Benson showed off his trademark power, hitting a 2-run blast against the Guardians that came off the bat at 108.4 mph. Another Reds under the radar acquisition, JJ Bleday went 2-3 with a double in the loss to Seattle.
The Reds rotation and bullpen are crowded with quality arms and a few have had great performances already. Rhett Lowder looked overpowering at times in his two-inning outing in the opener, striking out four. Chase Burns didn’t allow a hit as he started the first game, but the three walks he allowed show that he has bit more work to do to nail down his command. The two are said to be dueling for a rotation spot, so fans will be closely watching all of their innings in the lead up to opening day.
Walks have haunted the Reds early on, which isn’t surprising given where we are in the preseason. Apart from Burns’ trifecta of walks, Connor Phillips also had a hard time throwing strikes. He surrendered three walks of his own in just two thirds of an inning.
Although the bullpen struggled down the stretch against the Mariners Graham Ashcraft, Tejay Antone, and Nick Sando all threw scoreless innings of relief. There is plenty in flux among this group, but seeing Antone return to pitch well after three Tommy John surgeries is an amazing story that makes the man so easy to root for.
