The Reds have agreed to a one-year contract with left-handed-hitting outfielder JJ Bleday, a source told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon on Saturday. The club has not confirmed the deal.
Bleday has power, patience and the ability to play all three outfield positions. Those traits made him the fourth overall pick in the 2019 Draft out of Vanderbilt and served him well during his breakout 2024 with the Athletics, in which Bleday batted .243 with 20 home runs and a .761 OPS as his club’s everyday center fielder. Even in limited action in 2025 (98 games), Bleday managed to swat 14 homers for the A’s while spending time in both corner outfield spots as well as center.
But the 28-year-old took a step back overall in 2025, seeing his batting average dip to .212 and his OPS to .698 in a season in which he was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas twice. His defense also regressed: Bleday graded out as a negative fielder by Outs Above Average at all three outfield positions, most notably in center (-5 OAA). After calling up glove-first rookie Denzel Clarke from the Minor Leagues and moving Tyler Soderstrom to left field, the A’s chose to move on from Bleday. They designated him for assignment Nov. 18, and non-tendered him on Nov. 21, making Bleday a free agent for the first time in his career.
The outfielder was one of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects at the time of his Major League debut with the Marlins in 2022. After hitting just .167 with a .586 OPS in 238 plate appearances, Bleday was dealt to the A’s before the 2023 season for a fellow first-round Draft pick, left-hander A.J. Puk. Bleday posted similar numbers in '23 (.195 BA, .665 OPS) before a major improvement in '24, leading the A’s with 43 doubles and hitting better than all but a few everyday center fielders.
Despite Bleday’s down year in 2025, there were still some positives, including his plate discipline. The outfielder walked at a clip greater than 10% for the fourth straight season to begin his career, and his 24.9% chase rate on pitches outside the strike zone was above average. And although his defensive range in the outfield was poor in 2025, Bleday possesses a strong throwing arm -- his average arm strength ranked in the 81st percentile of MLB.