Two years after the Cincinnati Reds made their largest splash in free agency in more than a decade, they’ve reversed course and signaled they are scaling down their payroll.
The Reds declined to pick up the $10 million club option in left-hander Wade Miley’s contract and watched him join the Chicago Cubs after he was claimed off waivers Friday. It’s a move that weakens the Reds’ rotation for next season, but it saves them from paying a $1 million buyout because he was claimed off waivers.
It’s the third departure from the Reds’ roster this week after they traded catcher Tucker Barnhart to the Detroit Tigers, in lieu of paying him a $7.