Terry Francona is incensed that the Cincinnati Reds’ internal waiver deliberations were made public.
This week, the Reds placed veteran third baseman Eugenio Suárez and outfielder T.J. Friedl on outright waivers, offering the remaining 29 clubs a 48‑hour window to claim them along with the attached salary obligations.
Both players went unclaimed, a outcome that aligned with pre‑trade‑deadline expectations, and they remained with the Reds for their upcoming series in Chicago.
Francona joins a growing list of those frustrated that a typically confidential process was leaked to the media.
“For those who fail to maintain confidentiality, shame on them,” Francona told reporter Charlie Goldsmith. “When you hold a leadership position within any organization, you have an obligation to protect that confidentiality. When it’s breached, it truly angers me.”
Suárez is still owed roughly $3 million remaining on his one‑year, $15 million contract signed this past offseason. The deal includes a mutual option for 2027, which appears unlikely to be exercised.
“I have nothing to say about it,” Suárez said. “That’s not part of my responsibilities. Whatever they decide is their decision. My focus is on playing baseball.”
Suárez, who has spent the bulk of his career in Cincinnati, is enduring a career‑worst campaign, posting a .705 OPS with 19 home runs while primarily serving as the club’s designated hitter.
The power hitter was the Reds’ marquee free‑agent acquisition this offseason after the club missed out on retaining hometown favorite Kyle Schwarber, who signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Friedl, meanwhile, has split the season between Triple‑A and the major leagues after anchoring the Reds’ 2025 lineup. He has compiled a .476 OPS across 76 games and is set to earn approximately $700,000 for the remainder of the year.
Both players attracted minimal interest at the trade deadline, and neither is anticipated to remain with the Reds beyond the 2026 season.
Francona is in his second season as the Reds’ manager and his 25th overall in that role. Last season, he became the 13th manager in history to reach the 2,000‑win plateau and currently ranks 11th all‑time with 2,096 victories.
He stands as the winningest active manager, boasting more than twice the total wins of A.J. Hinch and Dave Roberts, the only other active skippers with over 1,000 victories.
With one additional season remaining on his Reds contract and a club option for 2028, Francona will aim to overtake Joe McCarthy’s 2,125 wins and break into the top 10, rounding out what promises to be a Hall‑of‑Fame managerial career.
