Reds outfield target might seem tempting for Phillies, but isn't worth the roster cost

The Reds raised a few eyebrows around baseball late Wednesday when they placed veterans Eugenio Suárez and TJ Friedl on waivers, allowing any of the other 29 teams to claim them at the cost of their remaining salaries for the season. It’s the sort of thing that happens every year, as teams suffering through disappointing seasons like Cincinnati cut notable players loose after the trade deadline in an attempt to save a few bucks.

For the Phillies, it offers up an intriguing possibility, not so much in the case of Suárez — who is a boat anchor at third base and wouldn’t be feasible for the Phillies’ current alignment — but with Friedl. It’s been an extremely down year for the 31-year old outfielder, but he could be a viable short-term rental for a contending team.

Or could he?

TJ Friedl’s track record could be enticing enough for the Phillies to claim him off waivers

For starters, nobody expected Friedl to be in this situation. He has been a regular with the Reds since late 2022, putting up some nice numbers before this year’s absolute implosion. He finished 23rd in NL MVP voting in 2023 when he delivered a season worth 3.6 bWAR, and he also turned in a solid 2025 campaign that included 82 runs scored, 15 home runs, and 12 steals. This year, however, things have been downright awful.

Friedl was slumping so badly in June that he was demoted from the big club for the first time in four years, only being summoned back up once injuries hit the Reds. Overall, he’s put up a ghastly .158/.242/.234 triple slash line and has stolen just five bases in 76 games. He’s been relegated into a platoon for most of the year, and his speed is certainly down from where it was just a few years ago, which has in turn affected his defensive ability. He still remains a decent center fielder, but he doesn’t have some standout skill that would make him a hot commodity on the waiver wire.

None of this sounds very flattering, and it shouldn’t be. But proven, veteran players have shown an ability to come through in short bursts with defined roles like Friedl would have with the Phillies. He could spell either Brandon Marsh or Justin Crawford for a few games, act as a left-handed bat off the bench, and also provide insurance in the outfield that would seemingly prevent the team from having to use Edmundo Sosa out there in a pinch.

Still, despite the possibility of Friedl returning to form and also being motivated to earn a new contract somewhere for next season and beyond, it’s hard to see the numbers that support taking a chance on him at this point. And then there is the biggest elephant in the room — if you bring in Friedl, or anyone else — who do you shuttle off the roster? In this case, it would be either Bryan De La Cruz or Derek Hill, whom the Phillies seem pretty happy with at this time.

There is also the issue of handedness, as swapping out either of their right-handed hitting outfielders for the lefty Friedl could leave the Phillies’ overly susceptible to southpaws, especially in the late innings when the bench might need to get involved. The team probably feels some sense of loyalty to De La Cruz and Hill as well, and they may have earned their chance to be on the playoff roster already in management’s estimation.

Add it all up, and it seems like the timing just isn’t right for Friedl to be a Phil. He may have a salvageable MLB career somewhere after this season, but teams in the thick of the playoff hunt right now don’t have time to wait around for him to re-discover his stroke. The Reds are hoping that someone relieves them of their remaining financial burden, but Friedl’s depressed value makes it unlikely that the Phillies or anyone else will — or should — bite.

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