Lockout The expiration of the league's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the Major League Baseball Players Association occurred on December 1, 2021 with no new agreement in place. As a result, the team owners voted unanimously to
lockout the players stopping all free agency and trades. The parties came to an agreement on a new CBA on March 10, 2022.
Rule changes Pursuant to the new CBA, several new rules were instituted for the 2022 season. The National League will adopt the
designated hitter full-time, a draft lottery will be implemented, the postseason will expand from ten teams to twelve, and advertising patches will appear on player uniforms and helmets for the first time.
Transactions After the lockout, the Reds went on a
fire sale. The Reds let their outfielder
Nick Castellanos sign with the
Philadelphia Phillies and placed starting pitcher
Wade Miley on
waivers and was picked up by the
Chicago Cubs. The Reds also traded many players. The Reds traded pitcher
Amir Garrett to the
Kansas City Royals, starting pitcher
Sonny Gray to the
Minnesota Twins, catcher
Tucker Barnhart to the
Detroit Tigers, and both infielder
Eugenio Suárez and outfielder
Jesse Winker to the
Seattle Mariners. Reds owner
Bob Castellini was criticized for this and Reds fans protested and asked him to sell the team. Phil Castellini, Reds president/chief operating officer and the owner's son, fanned the flames of fan resentment when he responded in a
WLW interview prior to the team's April 12 home opener, "Well, where are you gonna go? Let’s start there. Sell the team to who?...What would you do with this team to have it be more profitable, make more money and compete more in the current economic system that this game exists? It would be to pick it up and move it somewhere else." He also told Reds fans "be careful what you ask for." ==Regular season==