For three seasons now (excluding 28 games in 2022), Spencer Steer has been consistently penciled into the Cincinnati Reds lineup. With him set to make $4 million in 2026 in his first year of arbitration, some questions have arisen regarding his future with the team.
On one hand, he has been solid and will be an affordable player for the next three seasons. On the other hand, he may be clogging some of Cincinnati’s promising prospects brewing in their system.
Spencer Steer Entering First Arbitration Year with Reds
Availability is the Best Ability
Spencer Steer might be your uncle’s favorite solely due to his ability to stay on the field. The age-old adage that availability is the best ability certainly applies to Steer.
2023: 156 games played
2024: 158 games played
2025: 146 games played
Even in 2025, he battled through nagging injuries during the early stages of the season but pushed through them regardless. Despite it hindering his performance at times, he has made it a mission throughout his career to gut through minor issues and lace up the cleats.
Steer’s 2023 Breakout
2023 saw one of the most fun Reds teams in a while. Despite missing the postseason, there were plenty of moments to remember, and Spencer Steer was involved in many of them.
After getting a cup of coffee in 2022 with a 28-game stint in the big leagues, Steer went off in 2023, posting an .820 OPS and a 117 OPS+ in 156 games. He hit 23 home runs and even tacked on 15 stolen bases, as he was an all-around solid player.
This production culminated in a 2.9 bWAR season. It was a very solid year for the then 25-year-old Steer, and he seemed like a perfect candidate to slot into the everyday first baseman role following Reds legend Joey Votto’s retirement.
Steer’s 2024 Season
Heading into 2024, fans were excited to see if the Reds had their running mate next to Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain for the near future. In some ways, Steer had a great season. He joined the 20-20 club with 20 home runs and 25 stolen bases and was about league average defensively overall with a -2 OAA.
However, his OPS dropped by nearly 100 points as he had a .721 OPS. In fact, he was overall a slightly below-average hitter that year, posting a 96 OPS+.
It was a disappointing year for both Steer and the Reds, but it wasn’t as surprising as it seemed. His metrics from 2023 may have suggested that his 2023 breakout was a product of luck.
Here are his metrics in 2023 and 2024:
xBA
2023 – .252
2024 – .235
xSLG
2023 – .417
2024 – .379
Avg Exit Velocity
2023 – 88.7 MPH
2024 – 88.0 MPH
Hard-Hit%
2023 – 37.1
2024 – 39.9
As shown, the 2024 metrics were down a bit, but by a negligible difference. It seemed like he plateaued to the player that he was in 2024, and that his true form is a low to mid-.700s OPS guy rather than a low to mid-.800s OPS guy.
However, one season is not necessarily enough of a sample size to write off a player’s entire future. 2025 seemed like an important year for him and the organization to see which version of him is closer to his true form.
If anything, a defensively sound first baseman with the ability to handle occasional outfield workload, all while having some semblance of power and speed threat, is a solid piece on a team.
A Decision-Filled 2025 Season Outcome
In comes the 2025 season, where the problems began to arise. It wasn’t like Steer played badly. In fact, he had himself another solid season, albeit short of the level he reached in 2023. He posted a .723 OPS and slugged 21 home runs. He was less effective on the base paths due to multiple nagging injuries and was limited to just seven stolen bases.
Despite all of this, he was still below average offensively with a 94 OPS+, and he was worth just 0.7 bWAR, the least in his career so far.
Again, the problem isn’t that Spencer Steer was bad. He was around league average and had multiple clutch moments. The problem is that a roughly league-average bat at first base is not good enough for a Reds team that struggles to score runs. Another problem, and perhaps the biggest one, is the looming presence of top prospect Sal Stewart.
Three home runs in two games… CLUTCH.@spenc__er pic.twitter.com/B00Lxiu9Ib
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 21, 2025
A Logjam in the Infield
Fans were pining for the arrival of 21-year-old Stewart, who was lighting it up in Triple-A amidst a mid-to-late-season slump by the Reds. In just 55 at-bats, Stewart proved to be worth every bit of the hype, as he posted an .839 OPS with five home runs and 0.5 bWAR.
While WAR isn’t the end-all, be-all stat, it is still worth noting that Stewart’s 0.5 bWAR nearly equaled Steer’s 0.7 bWAR despite playing in just 18 games compared to Steer’s 146. Stewart being the Opening Day first baseman is the right move, but that leaves the problem of what to do with Spencer Steer.
He has the ability to handle second base, but Matt McLain is the Reds’ everyday second baseman. He has shown himself to be capable of manning the hot corner as well, but Gold Glover Ke’Bryan Hayes is there for the long term. This leaves left field as the final option, which would be a mistake.
It would make sense if Steer was still the 117 OPS+ version of himself, which, if he were, the Reds would gladly take his below-average defense just to get his bat into the lineup. Unfortunately, the past two full seasons have shown that Steer is, at best, a league-average hitter, which is simply not enough to offset his lackluster outfield defense and justify him earning the everyday role out there.
The Imminent Steer Trade
With all of the defensive position options exhausted, that leaves the likely scenario of a Spencer Steer trade. With the amount of young talent waiting to flourish that are currently in the minor leagues, it wouldn’t make sense for the Reds to pay anywhere from $4 to $8 million over the next three seasons for Steer’s league average production.
Again, Spencer Steer is still a player who brings value. Along with his three years of team control left, the Reds can definitely shop him in the offseason. While the return package won’t be a haul, a valuable back-end starter or a couple of relievers isn’t out of the question.
It may be difficult for some fans to say goodbye to Steer, but the writing is on the wall regarding his time in Cincinnati. He played a big part in some pivotal wins throughout his time in Cincinnati, but if they want to take the next step, a trade seems like the best option.
Main Photo Credit: © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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