ATLANTA – Outfielder TJ Friedl, one of the Cincinnati Reds' clubhouse favorites, cleared waivers and accepted an assignment that keeps him with the organization.
In what amounts to a paper move, Friedl accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Louisville, which finished its season over the weekend.
Friedl cleared waivers after being designated for assignment over the weekend, the DFA looking at the time like a move that marked the end of an 11-year relationship with the organization.
“As hard as this year was for him, he never once was not a fantastic teammate,” manager Terry Francona said when the Reds sent him out over the weekend. “And I told him that, I think three or four times. It’s meaningful."
Friedl, the leadoff hitter with a .361 on-base
percentage for last year's Reds' playoff team, slumped mightily this season after opening the year in the same leadoff spot.
He hit just .172 with a .255 on-base percentage in 91 big-league games this season – performance that cost him a month-long demotion to the minors in June and led to the Reds putting him on waivers in August, weeks before the DFA.
If Friedl remains with the organization on a minor-league contract next year, he would be eligible to play in minor-league games if a labor shutdown were to persist into the big-league season.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: TJ Friedl remains in Cincinnati Reds organization, off MLB roster
