Cincinnati Reds links – Elly the player of the month, Derek Johnson to leave Reds

Elly De La Cruz earned National League Player of the Month honors for September after hitting 9 home runs and posting a 1.156 OPS, accumulating 2.0 fWAR that topped Mookie Betts and Fernando Tatis Jr. The 24-year-old Reds superstar will remain with Cincinnati for two more seasons before becoming a free agent. Outfielder TJ Friedl elected free agency after struggling in 2026 and being designated for assignment in September, leaving the Reds to search for a center field replacement from their young prospects or through trades. Pitching coach Derek Johnson is departing the organization after seven years, during which he developed a strong staff that included Sonny Gray and helped establish a pipeline from Vanderbilt.

Summary written by MLB Feed Network based on the original reporting. How we write summaries