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Cincinnati Reds' Dane Myers Reflects On Promising Season
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- Cincinnati Reds' Dane Myers Reflects On Promising Season
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Cincinnati Reds saw a promising year from center fielder Dane Myers who was one of a few bright spots in the team's otherwise disappointing lineup filled with inconsistent hitting that swung for the fences.
The 30-year-old slashed .257/.344/.377 while recording a .721 OPS and launching eight home runs. He also drove in 27 runs across 117 games of action during his first year as a Red after spending his first three major-league seasons with the Miami Marlins.
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Myers would make his way to Cincinnati during the 2025 offseason in a trade from Miami in exchange for prospect Ethan O'Donnell.
In a recent conversation with Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, Myers expressed confidence in the season he had but acknowledged his room for improvement on the defensive end.
"I think it went well. Maybe not exactly the numbers I was quite looking for, but I can look back on the year and say I was true to myself and played my game throughout the year," he said. "I feel like I got better as a player and a teammate. Obviously, the end goal wasn't reached of making the postseason. I think we've got some stuff that we know we need to work on and build off of it."
Myers' struggles were evident when he collided with fellow outfielder TJ Friedl and failed to catch a routine fly ball, costing the Reds in their Aug. 20 matchup against the division rival St. Louis Cardinals.
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Still, Myers showed flashes of potential with hitting lefties being his greatest strength. He recorded an impressive .777 OPS in comparison to his .678 against right-handers.
He had a strong performance against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 6, going 3-for-4 and scoring three runs as Cincinnati came away with a 12-8 win in front of the Great American Ball Park-faithful.
Furthermore, Myers wrapped up August with three homers, the most he hit in a month this year. Even though he'll be older going into his age 31 season next year, trading for Myers appears to be working out for Cincinnati who is in dire need of outfield production at the plate.
JJ Bleday and Noelvi Marte, two of the Reds' other outfielders haven't had close to the same results as Myers, making his bat especially valuable next year. Bleday hit .217 while Marte batted a dismal .189.
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Beyond the outfield, the Reds were underwhelmed by veteran designated hitter Eugenio Suárez who batted .212 despite hitting 26 homers. Suárez spent seven seasons with Cincinnati in the past before re-joining the franchise on a one-year deal in February. With that, he was expected to be a huge contributor but has yet to pan out.
As Myers keeps improving his glove this offseason, the Reds will have a lot to think about when it comes to bolstering their defense.
