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Cincinnati Reds’ Terry Francona Comments on Will Benson News
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- Cincinnati Reds’ Terry Francona Comments on Will Benson News
(Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)
The Cincinnati Reds made a difficult decision last week when they needed to clear an active roster spot for right-hander Hunter Greene to return. Unfortunately, the roster casualty was one of the longest-tenured players on the team in outfielder Will Benson . He was designated for assignment because he no longer had options remaining.
After spending nearly a week on waivers without being claimed, Benson had a choice to make. Rather than head to free agency in search of a new opportunity, the Reds announced he had decided to stay with the organization and report to Triple-A on Tuesday.
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While speaking with reporters before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies , Reds manager Terry Francona commented on Benson's decision to stick around rather than test the open market.
"For his sake, I think we were hoping he'd get claimed because we love him. Nobody will ever complain about having him," Francona said (h/t Mike Petraglia of CLNS Media).
Fortunately for Benson, he is well-perceived in the clubhouse even if his on-field results have not reflected that. The reasoning behind the Reds' decision to designate him was straightforward.
He simply has not performed in years and has been almost unplayable in 2026, which is a shame considering how much the organization has invested in him, selecting him in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft nearly a decade ago.
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The last time Benson showed what he was capable of was back in 2023, when he put together a special season posting a .275 batting average, .365 on-base percentage, .863 OPS, 11 home runs and 31 RBIs.
That was particularly impressive because it was his first full season at the big-league level, having debuted in 2022 but playing just 28 games that year. However, since that breakout, he has accumulated-1 bWAR across the last three seasons combined.
This year his production got especially bad, as he posted a .188 batting average, .310 on-base percentage and .643 OPS across 51 games. He was clearly a negative asset for Cincinnati and the club could no longer afford to carry him given they still sit in last place in the National League Central.
Benson will look to figure his swing out mechanically at Triple-A while waiting for another shot at the big-league level. The talent has always been there, and Francona's comments make clear the organization has not given up on him as a person or as a player.
