The Reds announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Randy Wynne. Wynne is being brought in to replace righty Carson Spiers, who is headed to the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement. No 40-man roster move was necessary to accommodate the addition of Wynne, though the Reds’ 40-man roster is now full.
Wynne, 32, was signed by the Reds out of the independent Frontier League back in 2019. He’s been working his way through the Reds organization ever since, climbing the minor league ladder and even getting a brief call-up to the majors back in 2023. He surrendered one run in 2 1/3 frames during his lone big league outing and was outrighted off the club’s 40-man roster not long after. Despite that relatively brief stint in the majors, Wynne has remained in the Reds organization as a swingman at Triple-A. He’s done fairly well for himself there in recent years, with a 4.16 ERA in 93 innings last season and a 3.06 ERA across his first four starts of the 2025 campaign.
He’ll take the vacated roster spot of Spiers, who threw 94 pitches yesterday over four innings of relief. The righty has a 6.08 ERA across 13 1/3 innings this year, his third season as a swing man for the Reds. Spiers’s work on the mound for Cincinnati has generally been serviceable but below-average overall, with most of those innings coming last season when he threw 90 2/3 frames of 5.46 ERA ball split between ten starts and 12 relief appearances. The severity of Spiers’s injury is not yet known, but he’ll miss at least the next two weeks as he nurses the injury.
The Reds are unlikely to need Wynne as a rotation piece as presently constructed given that Nick Lodolo should be back from the paternity list soon, meaning he’s likely to fill a similar long relief role to the one Spiers was slated for. It wouldn’t be a shock if the righty’s first appearance came today, given that reliever Brent Suter has been announced as today’s starter. Suter has looked solid this year with a 2.70 ERA despite a 4.52 FIP, but he last logged significant time as a starter back in 2018 and has maxed out at two innings to this point in the 2025 campaign. Given that Wynne is stretched out as a starter, it would make sense if the team’s plan against the Orioles today is for Suter to throw an inning or two before Wynne takes over as a bulk reliever.
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The Seattle Mariners reportedly regard Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez as their top trade target. However, the Mariners may have a backup plan in mind. According to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, the Mariners are among several teams interested in Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon. Although McMahon does not have the type of firepower offensively that Suarez possesses, he has been a solid hitter in his own right. He has shaken off a dreadful start to the season to post a .246/.332/.472 batting line in 280 plate appearances since May 1, hitting 14 homers and 12 doubles. McMahon does have his advantages. He is one of the best defensive third basemen in the game, having saved 17 runs at the hot corner since the start of the 2024 season. Suarez, meanwhile, has cost the Diamondbacks four runs defensively in the same timeframe. While Suarez would be a rental option as he is scheduled for free agency once the season concludes, McMahon is signed through 2027 on a reasonably affordable contract. He is due $16M in 2026 and 2027 over the final two years of the six-year, $70M extension he signed ahead of the 2022 season. The Mariners are also reportedly willing to increase their payroll, making a potential deal easier. The big question is whether or not the Rockies will actually unload players at the deadline. The Rockies are reportedly willing to trade McMahon, although past deadlines make that assertion somewhat dubious. Should Suarez be traded ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, the Rockies may find themselves with the top fallback option at third base.
Several of the high-profile names of the 2024 free-agent class are really struggling to justify the massive contacts they received through the early stages of the 2025 season. Despite the generous contracts, some players have been very underwhelming after getting the big payday. In particular, these players who signed major deals are now playing on new teams or in new roles: Christian Wilkins — four-years, $110M with Raiders, now a free agent Kirk Cousins — four-years, $180M with Falcons, now a backup Bryce Huff — three-years, $51.1M with Eagles, now with 49ers Jonah Jackson — three-years, $51M with Rams, now with Bears Gabe Davis — three-years, $39M with Jaguars, now a free agent Gardner Minshew — two-years, $25M with Raiders, now with Chiefs Chidobe Awuzie — three-years, $36M with Titans, now with Ravens While certain free agents such as Saquon Barkley and Danielle Hunter have delivered massive returns on their contracts to the Eagles and Texans, respectively, these other big signings have taken a completely different trajectory. Whether it is due to injuries, underperformance or not fitting the schemes, these players have not lived up to their deals. Wilkins is a case in point. The Raiders decided to cut him after signing him to a four-year, $110M deal. He struggled with injuries that held him out in 2024, leading to the team and Wilkins disagreeing on how the injury has been handled. Because of this, the two split ways only one year into his contract. Huff only played in 12 games and had a total of 2.5 sacks for Philadelphia after inking a three-year, $51.1M deal. He was traded to the 49ers in June for a 2026 mid-round pick. Cousins might be the most egregious of these deals. The former Vikings QB signed a four-year, $180M, with $100M fully guaranteed. Yet, he only started 14 games in 2024, and now is the backup to Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons now are essentially stuck paying their backup quarterback an annual average of $45M. These signings highlight the risk of free agency. Paying top dollar for past performance runs the risk of overlooking team fit and future value of contracts. Too often, these high-profile veterans who get massive paydays decline very fast or simply fail to mesh with new systems. So far, these investments in 2024 appear to have aged very poorly. Unless these players turn their performances around in 2025, many of the teams will view these moves as a cautionary tale of overspending in free agency.
The Green Bay Packers released star cornerback Jaire Alexander earlier this offseason, which frustrated the fan base because they did so without an obvious solution. Packers fans have been clamoring for the team to sign veteran and former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, but Green Bay does not appear all that interested in doing so. But you know who could represent a possible replacement for Alexander? Wide receiver Bo Melton. Yes, you read that right: wide receiver Bo Melton. Melton has started Packers training camp as a cornerback, which could ultimately lead to the 26-year-old assuming a major role in Green Bay’s secondary. Why the position switch? Well, Melton was struggling finding playing time in the Packers’ receiving corps as it was. Now, Green Bay added Matthew Golden and Savon Williams into the equation, so the chances of him actually getting on the field as a receiver in 2025 are slim to none. Melton logged just eight catches for 91 yards last season, and in 2024, he finished with 16 receptions for 218 yards and a touchdown. The funny thing is, he actually has shown promise in very limited action, but there is simply no room for him. The Rutgers product seems to want to stay in Green Bay, hence his decision to flip to the other side of the ball. He knows he has no chance to play as a wide out. Why not utilize his athleticism as a cornerback? Of course, this does not necessarily mean that Melton will serve as Alexander’s primary replacement. In fact, it would be pretty concerning if the Packers choose not to bring in another corner between now and the start of the regular season. But hey, maybe Melton will be so impressive in camp that Green Bay will actually give him a look.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in action. Latrobe, Pennsylvania, is once again the summer home of the iconic NFL franchise that has captured six Super Bowl titles. There's plenty of excitement around Mike Tomlin's squad heading into the season. Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, now 41, is expected to take command of the offense. Rodgers also has a new weapon in town: former Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf. Metcalf, just 27, brings both speed and experience to Pittsburgh's receiving corps. Despite his age and accolades, he's still young enough to enjoy some video games during downtime at training camp. But it turns out his new quarterback isn’t as interested in joining the action. While speaking with reporter Brooke Pryor, Metcalf shared a lighthearted moment about his training camp suite-mate. "I thought he did. He walked in my room yesterday and he was like, 'oh, you're gaming.' And I was like, 'yeah.' And he just walked out." Metcalf joined the Steelers after six seasons in Seattle. He was selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss. Since entering the league, he's made two Pro Bowl appearances and was named second-team All-Pro in 2020. In his final season with the Seahawks, he played in 15 games, catching 66 passes for 992 yards and five touchdowns. Over his career, Metcalf has totaled 6,324 receiving yards and 48 touchdowns. Thursday’s training camp scrimmage didn’t start well for Rodgers, who had his first pass of the day intercepted in front of a large group of fans. Still, Rodgers is determined to finish his career strong. He’ll turn 42 in December and currently sits at 503 career touchdown passes. In his last full season, he threw 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for the Jets across 17 games. He’ll now team up with Metcalf and running back Jaylen Warren, who takes over as the starter after Najee Harris left in free agency. Calvin Austin III and Robert Woods are also expected to start at wide receiver. Pittsburgh opens the 2025 season on the road against the New York Jets on September 7.
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