The Cincinnati Reds will be non-tendering outfielder Billy Hamilton a contract for the 2019 season. That will make hi a free agent immediately and free to sign with any team that he wants. The outfielder is well known for his defense and for his baserunning, but he’s also well known because of his inability to hit. Since he became an every day player he’s been among the worst every day hitters in all of Major League Baseball.
MLB Trade Rumors projected Billy Hamilton to get a raise this year in arbitration. They put him in for a $5.9M deal in arbitration for the 2019 season. The Cincinnati Reds must have felt that this was not the right kind of value for their team moving forward. By non-tendering him they do not owe him any money moving forward.
What this does do is leave open a question as to who will play center field for the Reds when next year begins. Internally the team could look at several players. Nick Senzel has a very small amount of experience at the position that he had in instructional league this year. From the team last year the Reds could possibly go with either Philip Ervin or Scott Schebler, both of whom saw action at the spot at times. Jose Siri is on the 40-man roster and is easily the best defensive option to play there, but there should be real concerns with how his bat would play in 2019 at this level. There are always options outside of the organization, too, though. Free agency is out there, and there is also the option of trading for a center fielder.