There’s a certain kind of Cincinnati Reds player who doesn’t need a marketing campaign. TJ Friedl is that guy. He’s got an edge without the ego, he plays like he actually takes the job personally, and his effort level is so consistent it turns a long, messy 162 into something you can live with.
Yet, every time contract chatter pops up, Friedl’s name lands in that weird limbo where everyone’s thinking, so… extension or what?
The honest answer is the Reds don’t have to do anything right now. Not because they don’t value him. Because baseball economics rewards patience more than it rewards proactive loyalty.