Reds Sign First-Round Pick Steele Hall, Promote Two Top Prospects in Midseason Shakeup

Reds Open Second Half with Big Win, Lock in First-Round Pick Steele Hall in Under-Slot Deal

The Cincinnati Reds kicked off the second half of their season in style, taking down the New York Mets 8–4 behind home runs from Austin Hays, Tyler Stephenson, and Matt McLain.

But the good news extended beyond the field. The Reds also reached an under-slot agreement with their first-round pick Steele Hall, signing the high school shortstop for $5.75 million, significantly below the $6.51 million slot value for the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.

Cincinnati also inked third-rounder Mason Morris, a right-hander from Ole Miss, to a deal just shy of $900,000. Morris pitched exclusively out of the bullpen last season but has starter potential thanks to a sharp cutter that has caught the attention of scouts. His signing added to the team’s bonus pool savings, which now top $800,000 between Hall and Morris—flexibility the Reds could use to pursue tough-signing talent in later rounds.

At just 17 years old, Hall is considered a long-term project with massive upside. Some scouts have even compared his athleticism and offensive tools to Trea Turner, though the Reds plan to take a conservative approach to his development. He’s unlikely to debut until next season, following a similar path to recent top picks Rhett Lowder, Chase Burns, and Tyson Lewis.

With Hall and Morris officially in the fold, Cincinnati can now shift focus to signing the remainder of its draft class, including second-rounder Aaron Watson, who remains unsigned. The extra bonus pool room could also help the Reds sway high-upside prep players like Ethan Moore and Myles Upchurch to forgo college commitments.

Triple-A Louisville Gets Prospect Boost

Meanwhile, the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate in Louisville added some exciting new faces this week. Sal Stewart, fresh off an appearance in the MLB Futures Game, wasted no time making an impact, notching a single in his first at-bat for the Bats. Hector Rodriguez, acquired in a trade with the Mets, debuted as the team’s leadoff hitter, though he went hitless in his first outing.

Both Stewart and Rodriguez are now on the radar for a possible major league call-up later this season, adding more intrigue to a rapidly evolving Reds prospect pipeline.