Overview
- At 6:05 p.m. Monday, manager Terry Francona called Tyler Stephenson to tell him he had not been traded and would stay with the Cincinnati Reds.
- Stephenson spent the day before the deadline revisiting Cincinnati spots with his wife because he feared he might be moved, then said he felt a deep sense of relief after the call.
- He grew emotional during Sunday’s win over Pittsburgh when he hit a home run that echoed his first big-league at-bat and worried it might be his final plate appearance in a Reds uniform.
- Cincinnati held on to several players with expiring contracts after a quiet market for rentals left the club largely intact and resulted in only two outgoing trades on deadline day.
- Keeping Stephenson preserves a veteran presence as the 54-58 Reds push a late-season surge and gives the catcher clarity as he approaches free agency after this season.