Reds avoid arbitration with Oswaldo Cabrera on $1 million deal

The Reds and Oswaldo Cabrera agreed Thursday, Oct. 15, to a one-year contract worth $1 million, according to the Associated Press. The team announced the agreement on X, per Yahoo Sports. ESPN, theScore, RealGM and WKRC also reported the deal.

According to MLB.com, it is the Reds' first offseason signing of a player to avoid arbitration. Arbitration is the process in which a neutral panel sets a salary when a team and player can't agree on one. By settling now, Cincinnati and Cabrera skip that step.

The money

Cabrera will earn a $1 million base salary, MLB.com reported. He can add $200,000 in bonuses tied to plate appearances. Local12 also reported the $1 million is guaranteed for 2027. If he hits every incentive, the deal tops out at $1.2 million, based on those figures.

MLB.com says Cabrera is under club control through the 2028 season, so the Reds keep his rights beyond this contract.

What he offers

Cabrera is 27, per the AP. MLB.com says he can play third base, shortstop, second base and both corner outfield spots, which gives manager Terry Francona defensive flexibility. MLB.com noted that he fractured his left ankle sliding into home plate in May 2025, an injury it described as gruesome.

What isn't known

The sources reviewed don't say how Cabrera's deal fits into the Reds' 2027 payroll plans, or what role the club expects him to fill. Neither the club nor the reporting reviewed gives a payroll target or lists other arbitration-eligible players.