Reds acquire France in attempt to shore up 1B

CINCINNATI -- Looking to improve their offensive production from first base, the Reds acquired former All-Star Ty France and cash from the Mariners on Monday for Minor League catcher Andruw Salcedo.

It could be the first of multiple moves made by the Reds ahead of Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline.

“We’re just working through a bunch of stuff right now," Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said.

France was designated for assignment by Seattle on July 23. According to sources, the Reds will pay $1 million of the roughly $2 million the 30-year-old has remaining from his $6.78 million contract for this season.

TRADE DETAILS
Reds receive: 1B Ty France, cash considerations
Mariners receive: C Andruw Salcedo

“He’s a good player. It’s good to have him on the team," Reds manager David Bell said. "Defensively and as a hitter, really solid in every way as a person. He’ll fit right in. [It] is always encouraging to get a guy like that on your team.”

France, who will be arbitration-eligible in the offseason and under club control through 2025, was expected to travel to Cincinnati and be activated in time for Tuesday's game.

In 88 games this season, the right-handed hitting France is batting .223 with a .662 OPS, eight home runs and 31 RBIs.

Since the struggling Christian Encarnacion-Strand was lost for the season to a hand injury in May, the Reds have mostly used Jeimer Candelario and Spencer Steer at first base. But collectively at the position, the team's first basemen entered Monday batting .215 with a National League-worst .629 OPS.

Candelario will likely get most of his at-bats as the designated hitter while Steer is expected to get the bulk of his time back in left field where he began the season. France also has some experience at third base and DH, if needed.

An All-Star in 2022, when he set career highs with 20 home runs and 83 RBIs, France has been a contact specialist for most of his career. However, he struggled this season to consistently hit the ball in the air as much and saw his power numbers decline.

Seattle's T-Mobile Park is a notorious pitcher's park. France moving to play home games in one of the league's most hitter-friendly stadiums at Great American Ball Park could provide a potential boost.

“I don’t like putting too much on the ballpark because it’s still just about solid contact and the hits and power will come," Bell said. "But I do know that ballpark -- because I played in it -- it can be a good pitcher’s park. You just never know. A new environment, a new team -- it can do a lot for a player.”

"He’s had power. He takes really good at-bats," Krall said. "He has a .750-ish OPS against left-handed pitching each of the last three years. I think he struggled against righties a little bit this year, but even that was a [.631]. Maybe he comes back and this is a good place to bounce back and we get a good solid bat in our order.”

The Reds, who entered Monday's game vs. the Cubs with a 50-55 record and five games back from the final NL Wild Card spot, have not made their intentions fully known ahead of the Deadline as buyers or sellers. It could end up being both.

“We’re working on all different sides right now," Krall said.

The team had been looking to get players who could help beyond 2024, and France theoretically achieves that objective.

If Cincinnati winds up selling, the club has multiple relievers on short-term contracts and a trade market that has a premium price being paid for bullpen help in recent days. Starting pitcher Frankie Montas is on a one-year contract with a $20 million mutual option for 2025, while second baseman Jonathan India -- who is signed through '25 and under club control through '26 -- has often appeared in rumors.

Krall did not tip his hand about which players could be subtracted or added.

“You want to win. Obviously you see where we are right now," Krall said. "We want to make some moves that can continue to help us in ’25. But look, we’re still playing. We’re still playing hard and hopefully our fortunes change in one-run games and we can win some more games and get back into this thing.”