Mathias (shoulder) signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Nov. 29.
Mathias, 29, sports a career .246/.317/.391 batting line over parts of three major-league seasons for four different teams. His 2023 campaign ended in mid-August due to a shoulder injury and it's not clear what his current health status is.
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Reds' Noelvi Marte: Battling hamstring strain
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Marte suffered a strained hamstring while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Marte will no longer be able to participate in winter ball, but he should be ready to go for the start of spring training. The 22-year-old infielder slashed .316/.366/.456 across 123 big-league plate appearances last year and is expected to begin 2024 as Cincinnati's primary third baseman.
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Reds' Matt McLain: No lingering issues with oblique
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McLain said Thursday that his late-season right oblique strain is fully healed, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
McLain landed on the injured list Aug. 28 after straining his right oblique and then suffered a setback just as he was about to return to the Reds in late September. He began light workouts in late October, however, and is now back to full strength here at the end of November. "Things are going good," said the 2023 breakout infielder. "I started to swing, no problems. Lifting, no problems."
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Reds' Nick Martinez: Agrees to terms with Cincinnati
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Martinez agreed to a two-year, $26 million contract with the Reds on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Martinez opted out of the final two years of his contract with the Padres in early November and will head to Cincinnati on a deal that includes an increased salary and an opt-out after the 2024 campaign. The right-hander was reliable in San Diego over the past two seasons, posting a 3.45 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 216.2 innings over 110 appearances (19 starts). Although he converted just nine of his 16 save chances, he picked up 23 holds, including a career-high 15 last year. The Reds already have one of the top closers in baseball in Alexis Diaz, and they signed Emilio Pagan to a one-year, $8 million contract Wednesday. Pagan should be available as a setup man, and Cincinnati has been rumored to be in the market to acquire several other pitchers during the offseason. However, Martinez could also see some setup duties ahead of Diaz and will also be available to serve as a starter or long reliever when needed.
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Reds' Emilio Pagan: Agrees to deal with Reds
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The Reds signed Pagan to a one-year, $8 million contract with an $8 million player option for 2025 on Wednesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Pagan held a 2.99 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 65:21 K:BB over 69.1 innings for the Twins in 2023, which was good enough to nab a multi-year pact on the open market. The 32-year-old was able to keep the home run ball in check in 2023, but it's been a major issue for him in the past. Given his new home park, that could be a problem. Pagan would appear in line for setup duties ahead of closer Alexis Diaz.
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Reds' Alex Blandino: Joins Cincy on minors deal
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Blandino signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Wednesday.
Blandino joined the Giants on a minor-league deal ahead of the 2022 season before being traded to the Mariners. He was let go by Seattle in August of 2022 and didn't play last year, but he's slated to get another opportunity to provide organizational depth for the Reds in 2023. The 31-year-old played in 135 major-league games with the Reds between the 2018, 2019 and 2021 seasons and hit .226 with two homers, 29 runs, 16 RBI and a steal. He should play mainly in the minors in 2023.
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Reds' Reiver Sanmartin: Signs with Cincinnati
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Sanmartin (elbow) signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Nov. 19.
Sanmartin underwent Tommy John surgery in early July before being non-tendered by the Reds in mid-November. While it's unclear whether his new minor-league contract is a one-year or two-year deal, he'll at least be able to begin his recovery process as part of the organization.
The Reds selected Roa to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
Putting Roa on the 40-man roster prevents him from being scooped up by another team in next month's Rule 5 Draft. However, the 24-year-old righty will likely need to show significant improvement before getting the call to the majors after posting a 5.43 ERA and 1.77 WHIP across 61.1 frames with Triple-A Louisville in 2023.
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Reds' Jacob Hurtubise: Joins 40-man
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The Reds added Hurtubise to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
After slashing an impressive .327/.477/.474 across 451 plate appearances between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville last season, Hurtubise will be protected from being taken away from the Reds in the Rule 5 Draft. If Hurtubise is able to stay hot at the plate in 2024, there's a chance the 25-year-old outfielder cracks the big-league roster at some point in the season.
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Reds' Rece Hinds: Added to 40-man roster
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The Reds added Hinds to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
Hinds has yet to advance past Double-A in his career, but the Reds value him highly enough to prevent him from being taken away in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft. The 23-year-old outfielder could be bumped up to Triple-A Louisville to begin next season after slashing .267/.328/.534 with 23 homers and 97 RBI with Double-A Chattanooga in 2023.
Higgins signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Monday.
The deal includes an invitation to major-league spring training. The 30-year-old had a .639 OPS in 83 games for the Cubs from 2021 through 2022 but spent all of 2023 at the Triple-A level between the Diamondbacks and Cubs organizations, posting an .857 OPS with 11 home runs. The Reds already appear set at catcher with Tyler Stephenson and Luke Maile, so Higgins will likely begin the 2024 season at Triple-A Louisville.
