The Reds used Friday’s roster shuffle to address both the final stretch of 2026 and some unfinished business for next spring, adding versatile infielder-outfielder Oswaldo Cabrera on a waiver claim from the Yankees while shutting down reliever Julian Garcia for elbow surgery.
Cincinnati claimed Cabrera two days after New York designated the 27-year-old for assignment. Garcia went on the 15-day injured list with loose bodies in his right elbow, an issue that had been bothering him while he carried a heavy workload in his first Major League season.
The club also recalled right-hander Julian Aguiar from Triple-A Louisville, where he was expected to provide bulk innings behind rookie starter Chase Burns against the Dodgers on Friday night. Utility man Spencer Steer, sidelined by a right wrist sprain, was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Cabrera gives Cincinnati a versatile look for 2027
Cabrera is not simply a September addition for the Reds. He remains under club control through two more seasons after earning $1.2 million this year, giving Cincinnati time to determine how he fits on next year’s roster.
Manager Terry Francona said the Reds see a chance to keep Cabrera beyond this season, citing especially strong feedback on the player’s character and his ability to cover nearly every corner of a roster. Cabrera has appeared at seven different positions in his career, with experience at every infield position and in both corner-outfield spots.
“We felt this was an opportunity we could not let pass,” Francona said, adding that the club will speak with Cabrera before deciding exactly where to deploy him.
Cabrera’s recent path has been difficult. He appeared in only three big league games this season after suffering a serious left ankle fracture while sliding into home plate in May 2025. But he returned to play 122 games at Triple-A this year, batting .288 with a .790 OPS, 19 home runs and 69 RBIs.
Across 304 Major League games with the Yankees, Cabrera has hit .232 with a .635 OPS and 20 homers. Cincinnati will need to make another roster move once he joins the club.
Garcia’s breakout season ends early
Garcia’s injury puts a premature finish on one of the Reds’ better late-season stories. The 31-year-old reached the majors on June 23 after working his way back through independent baseball in 2024 and 2025.
Since his debut, Garcia logged 46 innings, second among all Major League relievers over that span behind only White Sox right-hander Trevor Richards, who had thrown 48 1/3. Garcia made 33 appearances for Cincinnati, going 1-2 with a 3.13 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.
His final outing came Wednesday in Cincinnati’s 6-2 victory over the Dodgers, when he allowed one run in one inning. An MRI later confirmed the elbow problem. Surgery is expected to be scheduled this week.
Francona said Garcia had been pitching through the discomfort, and the Reds decided there was little value in asking him to continue for the final 10 days of the season.
“He has earned the chance to get healthy,” Francona said. “We have used him a lot, so getting the operation done now should allow him to begin his offseason and come back sooner.”
Garcia was a 10th-round Phillies selection in the 2016 Draft and was out of affiliated professional baseball throughout 2023 before launching his comeback. He said his first Major League opportunity only strengthened his resolve to return.
“All I wanted was a chance, and I feel like I made the most of it,” Garcia said. “This is not where my story stops. I’m looking forward to Spring Training, competing for a job and helping this club make a playoff push next year.”
Aguiar returns for innings behind Burns
Aguiar’s recall gives Cincinnati a fresh arm after left-hander Brandon Williamson worked two innings in Thursday’s 8-2 loss to Los Angeles. The right-hander was set to follow Burns in a piggyback role Friday.
Aguiar made seven starts for the Reds in his 2024 debut season before undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. He missed the entire 2025 campaign and has gone 2-5 with a 6.27 ERA in 12 starts for Louisville this year.
For the Reds, Friday’s moves brought in a player who could become a useful multi-position piece, protected a reliever who had already given them plenty, and supplied another arm for a staff navigating the season’s final innings.
