The Reds have signed catcher Austin Wynns and infielder/outfielder Levi Jordan to minor league deals, per the MLB.com transaction tracker for each player. Both have been assigned to Triple-A Louisville but could receive invites to big league camp. Wynns is represented by the Ball Players Agency.
Wynns, 34, is a journeyman catcher who was on and off the Reds’ roster last year. He had previously spent time with the Orioles, Giants, Dodgers and Rockies before signing a split deal with the Reds last offseason. The deal would pay him a $950K salary for time spent in the majors and a $300K rate for time in the minors. That second number was far higher than the typical salary for a minor league player, which was by design for a couple of reasons. It would decrease the likelihood of another team claiming him off waivers and increase the chances of Wynns accepting an outright assignment.
That quickly came to pass, as Wynns was off the roster by January, just a couple of weeks after signing his deal in mid-December. He accepted the assignment and gave the Reds some non-roster depth. This sequence played out throughout the season, with Wynns frequently added to the roster and then bumped off again shortly after when no longer needed. He finished the season on the injured list due to a right teres major tear. He was outrighted off the roster at the end of the year and elected free agency.
Wynns only got into seven games for the Reds last year but they clearly like him as a depth catcher. His .230/.277/.332 career batting line across six different seasons isn’t much to look at but his work behind the plate has generally been considered solid. Cincinnati currently has just two catchers on the 40-man roster in Tyler Stephenson and Jose Trevino. Wynns provides them with an experienced veteran who could be the first up in the event of an injury to one of those two, without taking up a roster spot. If he gets added back to the roster at any point, he is out of options.
Jordan, 29, just made his major league debut with the Reds in 2024. It was a very limited debut, as he received just 11 plate appearances in seven games, getting just one hit. He was outrighted off the roster in the summer and elected free agency at season’s end.
He has generally produced solid numbers in the minors. Over the past four years, he has slashed .268/.353/.424 for a 108 wRC+ in 1,382 minor league plate appearances. He has done that while bouncing between various defensive positions, lining up at all three outfield spots and the three infield positions to the left of first base.
The Reds have plenty of uncertainty in their position player mix, as guys like Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, Jeimer Candelario and others missed time due to injuries in 2024. Jordan provides them with a bit of depth all over the diamond. If he gets added back to the roster at any point, he still has a full slate of options.
Hope this doesn’t take away from the Sasaki news.
They did say the new broadcast deal is going to lead to an increased payroll… they weren’t kidding!
Yeah, pretty much what we expected from this bunch.
Explain why you think Wynns is a poor choice as the third catcher. He’s at Louisville unless he’s needed. 300K deal as an insurance policy. It’s a prudent move by any measure. Never mind the explanation. Just crawl back under your rock until the next transaction.
I feel like that Steve Wynn fellow should make a new development somewhere in a Red state, like maybe Austin, Texas. I think it would be a minor sign, at least, that he’s still in the big leagues of the resort business. Plus it would give me a chance to head on down there in my Levi’s and maybe a pair of Air Jordans.
What does this have to do with anything? nothing at all. I just wrote a blurb using all the words in the title of this article.
Who’s going to read this anyways. Everyone’s probably in the Roki article.
Also, depth players are always useful, even if fans sometimes loathe these types of signings.
I’d rather the Reds would have brought back Luke Maile on a minor league deal. He seemed to handle the pitching staff very well
I liked Maile too. I read he graded poorly on defense last year and when your hitting goes south it’s a double whammy. Wynns is a plus on defense so I see why the move was made.