Reds Do Not Exercise Options for Suárez and Johnson

The Cincinnati Reds have announced that they will not exercise their mutual options for third baseman Eugenio Suárez and right-hander Pierce Johnson for the 2027 season. As a result, both players are now free agents, which creates five vacancies on the Reds' 40-man roster.

This decision was anticipated, as mutual options have rarely been triggered in recent years. Suárez's option was valued at $16 million without a buyout, while the Reds opted to pay Johnson a $1 million buyout instead of the $8 million owed if the option had been exercised.

Suárez, who is 35 years old, may conclude his second tenure with the Reds unless he secures a new contract. He previously played for Cincinnati from 2015 to 2021, achieving notable success during that period. After being traded to the Mariners before the 2022 season, he had a productive stint with them and the Diamondbacks, hitting 49 home runs last season. Despite a challenging start to the recent season, Suárez improved significantly in the latter months, but the Reds ultimately finished with a disappointing record.