Right-handers Nick Martinez and Jakob Junis have turned down their 2025 options with the Cincinnati Reds, who also declined their option on catcher Luke Maile on Friday.
Additionally, first baseman Ty France and outfielder Nick Martini became free agents after they refused assignments to Triple-A Louisville.
Brent Suter is returning to Cincinnati on a one-year contract worth $2.5 million. His deal includes a $3 million option for 2026 with a $250,000 buyout, and he can earn up to $200,000 in performance bonuses.
Suter, who lives in Cincinnati, had a record of 1-0 with a 3.15 ERA and two saves in 47 appearances with the Reds this year.
Right-hander Tejay Antone, who recently had his third elbow surgery, accepted an outright assignment to the Bats. Catcher Austin Wynns was also assigned outright to Louisville after being activated from the 60-day injured list.
Martinez signed a $14 million, one-year contract in December that included a $12 million player option. The 34-year-old had a record of 10-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 16 starts and 26 relief appearances, striking out 116 batters and walking 18 in 142 1/3 innings.
In his seven seasons with Texas (2014-17), San Diego (2022-23), and Cincinnati, Martinez has a record of 37-45 with a 4.09 ERA. He pitched in Japan from 2018 to 2021.
Junis, 32, made a deal with Milwaukee in February that included a $4 million salary for 2024, along with an $8 million mutual option and a $3 million buyout.
He joined the Reds on July 30 in a trade that sent Frankie Montas to the Brewers. While with Cincinnati, Junis had a 2.85 ERA in five starts and nine relief appearances. He ended the season with a record of 4-0 and a 2.69 ERA over six starts and 18 relief outings. After his first game on April 2, Junis was out until June 22 due to a right shoulder impingement.
In his eight seasons with Kansas City (2017-21), San Francisco (2022-23), Milwaukee, and Cincinnati, Junis has a record of 42-45 and a 4.48 ERA.
Maile had a $3 million salary this year as part of a contract that included a $3.5 million team option and a $500,000 buyout. The 33-year-old batted .178 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 135 at-bats across 53 games.
As a nine-year veteran, he has a .208 batting average with 21 home runs and 113 RBIs while playing for Tampa Bay (2015-16), Toronto (2017-19), Milwaukee (2021), Cleveland (2022), and Cincinnati (2023-24).
France batted .251 with five home runs and 20 RBIs in 179 at-bats over 52 games with the Reds. The 30-year-old was traded from Seattle on July 29 for catcher Andruw Salcedo, with Seattle sending $1,294,758 to the Reds to help cover part of France’s $6,775,000 salary.
Martini had a batting average of .212, hitting five home runs and driving in 24 RBIs in 52 games. The 34-year-old hit two home runs and had five RBIs on opening day against Washington.
Antone, a 30-year-old right-handed pitcher, made four appearances before having season-ending surgery to repair a tendon and ligament in his right arm. He previously underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2017 and August 2021.
Cincinnati also announced that right-hander Christian Roa was claimed off waivers from Miami. The 25-year-old, a second-round draft pick in 2020, had a record of 4-4 with a 5.55 ERA in four starts and 19 relief appearances for Louisville.
