Cincinnati Reds Finish Deferred Contract with Ken Griffey Jr. but Have Work to Do On the Payroll

Reds still well below league average payroll number

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) heads for the clubhouse after the ninth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park on Monday, June 24, 2024. The Reds won 11-5. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY

The Cincinnati Reds wrote their last check to Ken Griffey Jr. on Monday. The deferred money that the Reds guaranteed Griffey was $3.5 million up through 2024. With that in mind, what does the finances for the Reds look like overall?

According to Spotrac, the Reds total estimated payroll for the 2024 season is $103,362,232. That ranks them 24th in MLB. As much as they added this past offseason, that still did not bring the Reds close to the league average payroll of $165,781,329.

It’s also illuminating that the total active payroll for the Reds is just $76,636,339. When you add up the amount of payroll on the injured list, the amount of payroll allocated to players not on the roster, and Griffey, is just a smidge over 25% of the Reds payroll is not on the field.

Part of the Reds plan for contending must be to have a competitive payroll. They don’t have to reset the bar, just get closer to league average. Add an outfielder, or two, and maybe a few pitchers and this team will have very few holes. It surely seems like they should be able to do that.

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