The Cincinnati Reds have declined the options on right-handers Nick Martinez and Jakob Junis for 2025, as well as catcher Luke Maile, on Friday.
Additionally, first baseman Ty France and outfielder Nick Martini became free agents after declining assignments to Triple-A Louisville.
Brent Suter will return to Cincinnati on a one-year contract worth $2.5 million. His contract contains a $3 million option for 2026 with a $250,000 buyout and up to $200,000 in performance bonuses.
Suter, who lives in Cincinnati, went 1-0 with a 3.15 ERA and two saves in 47 appearances for the Reds this season.
Tejay Antone, a right-hander who recently underwent his third elbow surgery, accepted an outright assignment with the Bats. Austin Wynns, a catcher, 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, with a $12 million player option. The 34-year-old was 10-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 16 starts and 26 relief appearances, striking out 116 and walking 18 in 142 1/3 innings.
Martinez has a 37-45 record and a 4.09 ERA over seven seasons with Texas (2014-17), San Diego (2022-23), and Cincinnati. He pitched in Japan between 2018 and 2021.
Junis, 32, signed a deal with Milwaukee in February that featured a $4 million salary in 2024, a $8 million mutual option, and a $3 million buyout.
He joined the Reds on July 30 as part of a transaction that sent Frankie Montas to the Milwaukee Brewers. Junis posted a 2.85 ERA in five starts and nine relief appearances for Cincinnati. He finished the season 4-0 with a 2.69 ERA in six starts and 18 relief appearances. Junis was sidelined from his first game on April 2 until June 22 owing to a right shoulder impingement.
Junis has a 42-45 record and a 4.48 ERA over eight seasons with Kansas City (2017-21), San Francisco (2022-23), Milwaukee, and Cincinnati.
Maile earned $3 million this season as part of a contract that featured a $3.5 million team option and a $500,000 buyout. In 135 at-bats over 53 games, the 33-year-old batted.178 and had two home runs and eight RBI.
He has a.208 batting average, 21 home runs, and 113 RBIs during nine seasons with 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 across 52 games with the Reds. On July 29, the 30-year-old was traded from Seattle to the Reds for catcher Andruw Salcedo, with Seattle sending $1,294,758 to cover a portion of France’s $6,775,000 salary.
Martini had a.212 batting average in 52 games, including five home runs and 24 RBIs. On opening day versus Washington, the 34-year-old smacked two home runs and drove in five runs.
Antone, a 30-year-old right-handed pitcher, appeared four times before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a tendon and ligament in his right arm. He has already had Tommy John surgery in April 2017 and August 2021.
Cincinnati also announced that right-handed pitcher Christian Roa was claimed off waivers from Miami. The 25-year-old, a second-round draft pick in 2020, went 4-4 with a 5.55 ERA in four starts and 19 relief appearances for Louisville.
