Stephenson agreed to a one-year, $2.525 million deal with the Reds on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Stephenson avoided concussions in 2023 en route to a career-high 517 plate appearances -- the first time he's topped 402 plate appearances in a season. He slashed .243/.317/.378 with 13 home runs in 142 games, but given the Reds' improved depth, he will likely see significantly fewer starts at designated hitter (43 games in 2023) in 2024.
Tyler Stephenson Blasts 13th homer
Stephenson went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run and an additional run in Friday's 19-2 win over St. Louis.
Analysis: Stephenson's 13th home run of the season was the Reds' third of the fourth inning and sixth and final long ball of the night, leaving the team one shy of matching a single-game franchise record. Though the Reds are one of the few teams in baseball still competing for a playoff spot in the final series of the regular season, Stephenson isn't necessarily a lock to start behind the dish Saturday and Sunday. He and Luke Maile have been splitting work at catcher of late, with the latter starting four games to Stephenson's three over the past seven contests.
Connect With Us: