Reds sign outfielder JJ Bleday

JJ Bleday (Katie Dugan, Wikimedia Commons)

The Cincinnati Reds have signed outfielder JJ Bleday of Danville, Pennsylvania to a one-year contract worth $1.4 million according to the Associated Press on Saturday. The Reds become Bleday’s third Major League Baseball team. He previously played the 2022 season with the Miami Marlins, and the last three seasons with the Athletics.

In 2025 with the Athletics, Bleday batted .212 with 14 home runs and 39 runs batted in. During 98 games, 307 at bats and 344 plate appearances, he scored 48 runs, and had 65 hits, 17 doubles, one stolen base, 36 walks, 124 total bases, one sacrifice fly, with an on base percentage of .294 and a slugging percentage of .404.

Bleday’s stolen base came on April 4 in a 6-3 Athletics win over the Colorado Rockies. The game went into 11 innings before the Athletics were victorious. Bleday also had a two-home run game this past season. This was in an 11-3 Athletics win over the St. Louis Cardinals on September 1 in interleague action.

In the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft, Bleday was a highly touted prospect. He was selected in the first round, fourth overall. The only three players taken above Bleday were Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman of Portland, Oregon (first overall), Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. of Colleyville, Texas (second overall), and Chicago White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn of Santa Rosa, California (third overall).

Bleday was initially selected in the 39th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. Instead of signing, he went to the collegiate level and played with Vanderbilt University. Even though Bleday is only making $1.4 million, he is slated to be the Reds starting lefty fielder on Opening Day.