Tyler Stephenson spent the majority of Monday, Aug. 3, preparing to say goodbye.
After Sunday's win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cincinnati Reds catcher admitted he became emotional thinking it might have been his final day in a Cincinnati uniform. His final at-bat that afternoon ended with a homer into the right field seats. The same result as his first at-bat with the clubduring the abbreviated 2020 season.
As the MLB trade deadline approached, Stephenson and his wife spent Monday revisiting some of the places that have become part of their lives during his time in Cincinnati.
That included Block Coffee on the West Side, Press on Monmouth in Newport for breakfast, followed by a trip to the aquarium. They later went to Fifty West for dinner.
"Just kind of spent the morning enjoying it one last time if it were to happen," Stephenson said.
At 6:05 p.m., Stephenson's phone rang. It was manager Terry Francona on the other end with the news that Stephenson had been hoping for. He wasn't going anywhere.
"It was a very stressful day," Stephenson said. "I just kind of had my phone on me at all times ... After that (call), it was a big sigh of relief and I'm just happy to be here and be part of this organization."
Said Francona: "I called Steve-O (Stephenson) just trying to mess with him a little bit."
That relief carried into Tuesday afternoon as a flock of reporters surrounded a refreshed Stephenson at his locker in the Reds' clubhouse.
"I did sleep a lot better last night, that's for sure," Stephenson said.
For the last week, the speculation surrounding the trade deadline has occupied Stephenson's thoughts as his name continued to surface in rumors leading up to Monday. It was the first time he has experienced that side of the business, serving as a rite of passage of sorts for an MLB veteran.
"There are these, I guess, milestones in the baseball career. Getting to arbitration, getting to free agency and getting to the trade deadline stuff. This is kind of the first time I went through it," Stephenson said. "I was emotional, especially with how it could've ended."
Stephenson's emotions Sunday were fueled by more than just deadline uncertainty. Stephenson admitted he was fighting back tears with two outs in the ninth inning of the win over Pittsburgh, then he got choked up when broadcaster Jim Day reminded him that he may have started and ended his Cincinnati tenure by going yard.
"I was like, 'holy smokes.' It was kind of wild how that game ended ... It was kind of full circle," Stephenson said. "It's a process that everybody has to be a part of. I'm glad it's over and I can move on."
The possibility of leaving carried extra weight for Stephenson because of what Cincinnati has meant to the 29-year-old. Drafted by the Reds with the 11th overall pick in 2015, Stephenson has spent over a decade in the organization, and Cincinnati is where he matured into a pro.
"I've grown up in this city. This city has welcomed me with open arms," Stephenson said. "It's a city that my daughter, she wasn't born here, but she's spent a lot of her time here and it's always gonna be a special place in her heart. This is all I know. The city has accepted me − a kid from Atlanta − to be a part of this organization and to understand the history of it. It's felt like home."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How Reds' Tyler Stephenson passed time during stressful trade deadline
