Everything You Need To Know About The Cincinnati Reds Off-Season | MLB Free Agents, Trades, Redsfest

Everything You Need To Know About The Cincinnati Reds Off-Season | MLB Free Agents, Trades, Redsfest

Nick Kirby and Craig Sandlin break down all the key dates, decisions, and storylines ahead of a pivotal offseason for the Cincinnati Reds. They cover everything from free agency and qualifying offers to the non-tender deadline, arbitration, Redsfest, and the MLB Winter Meetings. Plus, an update from the Arizona Fall League with Cam Collier and Leo Balcazar in action on opening night. The guys also react to Nick Krall and Brad Meador’s press conference, which included updates on Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Rhett Lowder, Chase Burns, TJ Friedl, Sal Stewart, Noelvi Marte, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, the Reds’ offseason spending plans, and the team’s evolving offensive philosophy.

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Story from Charlie Goldsmith:

Nick Krall and Brad Meador set the stage for the Reds’ offseason

On the whole, this Cincinnati Reds’ offseason sounds like it’s going to follow the status quo.

Following the team’s first full-season playoff berth since 2013, president of baseball operations Nick Krall announced on Monday that all of the coaches have been invited to return. The budget for 2026 will get set over the next month, which will shape how much the Reds can do in free agency. The biggest path toward improvement will be the young core taking the next step.

“Internally, some guys need to step up,” general manager Brad Meador said. “We need guys to have good off-season’s, show back up ready to go and show back up ready to take the next step. We all know we need to take the next step. Part of that is leadership. Some of the young guys aren’t young anymore.”

Most of the pieces for the 2026 Reds are set. Spencer Steer, Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Noelvi Marte, TJ Friedl, Gavin Lux and Tyler Stephenson figure to be regulars in the lineup again. Sal Stewart will get the chance to build off of his promising second half of the season. Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder give the Reds a championship-caliber rotation.

The big question, like it is every year, is how much payroll flexibility the front office gets to work with to add to the roster. It always goes back to the budget.

The Reds enter the offseason with sneaky number of needs. Emilio Pagán, Nick Martinez, Zack Littell and Miguel Andujar are free agents. Austin Hays has a mutual option, which almost never gets picked up by both sides. The Reds have options on Scott Barlow and Brent Suter.

The Reds will have to retain any of those guys for more than they were paying them last year, or they’ll have to replace them.

“What’s next? How do we get better?” Meador said. “We’re losing some key parts, and we’re losing some leaders. It’s really important that we not only bring those guys back or replace those guys. But also continue to move forward and take the next step.”

There’s an under-the-radar need for rotation depth or the next Martinez. Several Reds pitchers will be on innings limits in 2026. With Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar coming off of Tommy John surgery, Rhett Lowder coming off of a lost season and Chase Burns still so early in his professional career, the Reds have a lot of starters that will need to be managed.

On paper, that makes the idea of trading one of the team’s established starters for a power bat more tricky to pull off.

“I wouldn’t say no, but when you trade pitchers you’ve got to go fill that somehow,” Krall said. “We all know how it works where you run out of innings at some point in the season. Guys get hurt. Things happen. I’m not sure you’re going to trade a pitcher for offense. You might (have to) trade a pitcher for a prospect and then have to go sign the offense. We’ve got to figure out what makes sense.”

The only two locks in the bullpen right now for 2026 are Tony Santillan and Graham Ashcraft. Connor Phillips set himself up well with his strong finish to 2025. There’s a wave of prospects who have already debuted and will battle for spots in the spring, including Zach Maxwell, Luis Mey, Lyon Richardson (now out of options) and Yosver Zulueta.

The front office will also look for opportunities to bolster that group with veterans. But there aren’t many small market teams splurging for closers and setup relievers on the free agent market.

Obviously, the lineup has to be better in 2026. Steer has to be steadier, McLain was just getting back to really feeling 100% coming off of shoulder surgery in 2024, De La Cruz has to figure out what style of hitter he wants to be, Hayes has to make adjustments, Lux has to slug some more and Marte and Stewart have to stick with the cat-and-mouse game as the league adjusts to them.