There was an intriguing trade made in Major League Baseball on Sunday. The Cincinnati Reds have traded catcher Austin Wynns of San Diego, California to the Athletics for cash considerations according to Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors.
Who has Wynns played for?
Wynns is joining his sixth Major League Baseball franchise. He previously played three seasons with the Baltimore Orioles (2018, 2019 and 2021), two seasons with the San Francisco Giants (2022 and 2023), the 2023 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies, and two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds (2024 and 2025).
Why did the Reds make the trade?
Wynns was considered the third man catcher in Cincinnati this season. He received some playing time as a backup catcher to Jose Trevino of Corpus Christi, Texas because Tyler Stephenson of Atlanta, Georgia missed the first month of the year with an oblique strain. However, when Stephenson returned to the Reds lineup on May 2, Wynns has only had seven plate appearances.
Wynns in 2025
Wynns is batting .400 with three home runs and 11 runs batted in. During 18 games, Wynns has simply been excellent when it comes to offensive consistency, despite the limited number of opportunities. In 40 at bats, and 43 plate appearances, Wynns scored six runs, and had three doubles, three walks, and 28 total bases, along with an on base percentage of .442 and a slugging percentage of .700.
Nine of the 24 hits came in two games. Wynns had five singles and one home run in a 24-2 Reds win over the Baltimore Orioles on April 20, and three hits (single, double, and home run) in a 5-2 Reds win over the Miami Marlins on April 23.
The fact that the Reds are trading a catcher who is batting .400 to start the season may surprise some. One must realize, Stephenson has been the Reds regular catcher for six seasons, and Trevino is batting .304 in 2025.
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