Tyler Stephenson's impending trip to free agency in 2026 remains a confounding conundrum for the Cincinnati Reds, who have short- and long-term plans behind the dish, but they lack a legitimate medium-term option if/when Stephenson leaves.
The 29-year-old backstop has been really good in some seasons (134 wRC+ in 2022) and really poor in others (85 wRC+ in 2023). His oscillating bat and opposite-ends-of-the-spectrum defensive metrics (95th percentile in Blocks Above Average, 13th percentile in framing runs) make the prospect of a long-term extension less palatable, but trusting Jose Trevino to step into a starting role at age 34 probably isn't the best idea, either.