Terry Francona on Reds signing Emilio Pagán
Reds manager Terry Francona lauds the club’s re-signing of closer Emilio Pagán for his value to a strong clubhouse chemistry and culture.
Goodbye, Kyle Schwarber. Goodbye, Pete Alonso.
Goodbye, yellow brick road to the kind of October success that either of those big-money, big-slugging hitters would have represented for the Cincinnati Reds lineup.
So what’s next for the Reds in their search for desperately needed offensive help now that the single greatest fit in the offseason market is off the board after a failed run at Schwarber – with next-best Alonso getting a five-year deal from the Orioles almost immediately after Schwarber returned to the Phillies last week?
One thing seems sure: The prices for what’s left in free agency and the trade market aren’t coming down at the rate players are flying off the board so far in a pre-holiday rush that has seen even typically slow-hand agent Scott Boras land big deals for his top two clients before the winter meetings finished (pitcher Dylan Cease to Toronto for $210 million, and Alonso at $155 million).
“We need to make sure we get some arms in our bullpen, and we’d like to figure out how to improve our position-player group,” said Krall, who made a point in October to include fielding in those goals for improvement.
Another certainty for the Reds: They don’t have much financial flexibility to work with. The payroll budget is frozen at last season’s level, which presumably leaves less than $20 million of wiggle room – a fact that forced the Reds to get creative with the first-year commitment on the five-year offer for Schwarber (deferrals and back-loads).
The Reds’ clearest position need is in the outfield, but because they have a handful of versatile players, “it opens us up to look into different positions to be able to add the most impactful hitter,” Krall said.
Creativity. It’s already been the buzzword of a Reds offseason that so far has produced only the one-year signing of free agent swingman Keegan Thompson and the return of closer Emilio Pagán on a two-year, $20 million deal.
Next?
A three-time All-Star and 2024 MVP runner-up, Marte, 32, is switch-hitting power option who has averaged 30 home runs and an .887 OPS the past three seasons.
He’s entering the second year of a six-year, $116.5 million deal, which should make the Reds wary for two reasons: the money and the fact the Diamondbacks are eagerly shopping him after another All-Star season.
The latter should be the bigger red flag, especially for a team managed by Terry Francona. Marte has irked teammates and management for taking unexpected days off, according to a detailed report in the Arizona Republic, including midseason when the DBacks were fighting to stay close enough to the playoff race to avoid a selloff (they didn’t).
The Reds were linked in trade rumors to Marte as they left the winter meetings last week, but that seemed more driven by the Diamondbacks trying to drum up a market than a serious pursuit by the Reds.
Meyers offers a potential two-way upgrade for the an outfield that has incumbent centerfielder TJ Friedl and promising converted infielder Noelvi Marte (in right) as the only certain locks for everyday time less than two months before spring training opens.
The right-handed-hitting Meyers was linked to the Reds in trade talks early last week, but even after losing out on Schwarber, the Reds involvement was not very deep or serious, Reds officials said.
The Astros are said to seek big-league starting pitching as they make big-league hitters such as Meyers available. And Krall has spent two months repeating an emphatic refrain that he’s reluctant to part with any of the MLB-experienced pitching depth – whether high-value All-Star Hunter Greene or innings-eating Brady Singer (who’s expected to open as the highest-paid pitcher on the staff).
OF/1B Cody Bellinger, free agent
As the meetings ended, sources close to Bellinger downplayed the Reds’ interest and likelihood to land the former MVP and Gold Glove outfielder who hit 29 home runs last season.
But he makes this list just for the fact they were included in the classic and colorful cavalcade of puns and buried clues in agent Boras’ description during the winter meetings of the eight teams he said were showing interest in Bellinger (who spent last season with the Yankees after two with the Cubs):
“It’s not for me to Judge, but great players see Red if they have a big bat Yanked out of their lineup. I haven’t Met a team that Dodges a five-tool player. To Phill the centerfield need is a Giant step towards the playoffs. North and south, outfielders that fly with power, they’re rare Birds. In the offseason there’s a lot of startup to organizations, and for that reason there’s a lot of Angel investors that are looking for very versatile outfielders. So other than that, Belli doesn’t have much interest.”
Ought to be worth at least a 5% groan discount for anyone signing him.
CF Luis Robert Jr., White Sox
Where have we heard this one before? Maybe last year?
The same problems for the Reds in pursuing this trade are even bigger this time around, specifically, the crazy-talented outfielder’s ability to stay on the field and his prohibitive salary ($20 million in 2026 after the Sox picked up his club option).
This is where creative thinking (maybe even a little dreaming) has to enter the equation. The White Sox want badly to move Robert, 28, and picking up perhaps even a lot of that salary in a deal is on the table for the right player capital going to Chicago.
But how much trade-plus-salary cost is worth paying for the hope and upside of a former All-Star and Gold Glove centerfielder who hit just .223 with a .660 OPS since his All-Star appearance, while averaging 105 games and 14 home runs across those past two seasons?
If he does what he did in 2023 (145 games, 38 home runs, 20 steals, .857 OPS), it might be worth a series win or two in October.
1B/3B/DH Eugenio Suarez, free agent
There’s not a remaining free agent on the board coming off a better power year (49 homers) than the Reds’ popular former teammate.
He strikes out a lot, had a monthlong slump from early September into October and might not be the best option every day at third base, with Gold Glove Ke’Bryan Hayes playing there as long as he hits.
But Suarez, 34, who made $15 million, fits at either corner and in the middle of a lineup that desperately needs the kind of threat he provides – and might fit the budget on two- or three- year deal that’s backloaded and/or includes some deferrals.
1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn, free agent
We’ll say it again for anyone who didn’t hear it when we mentioned this guy last month:
The lefty-hitting O’Hearn, 32, won’t necessarily check any boxes for desired defensive upgrades, but he’s a solid hitter coming off an All-Star season who could fall into the Reds’ budget range (he made $8 million in 2025).
Consider him a (very) poor man’s Schwarber, with a discount to match – a guy who hit a career-high 17 home runs combined in Baltimore and pitcher-friendly Petco Park, batting .281 with a career-best .803 OPS.
He’s 6-for-17 (.353) in four career games at GABP with two doubles, two homers and a 1.157 OPS.
The $18 million in 2026 salary as part of the $41.5 million owed on the final two years of Contreras’ contract probably makes it impossible to get creative enough for the Reds to pull this one off.
But the rebuilding Cardinals would not hesitate to trade the three-time All-Star within the division if it helps achieve their own organization-building goals for the next couple of years, and Contreras is said to value family and geographical/cultural comfort if asked to waive his no-trade rights.
He’s only played in the NL Central (winning a World Series as a rookie with the Cubs), and his brother is the Brewers’ All-Star catcher.
In addition to adding a plus bat with pop to the lineup at hitter-friendly GABP, Contreras would come with a value-added, uncommon level of passion and hard-nosed play – not to mention an ongoing personal incentive against the Cubs, who shunned him as a pending free agent during his All-Star walk year.
He’s 28-for-89 (.315) against the Cubs, with eight extra-base hits, 16 walks and .863 OPS vs. the Cubs in 29 games since signing with the Cardinals; he also has 12 home runs in 49 career starts in Cincinnati.
1B/OF/DH Rhys Hoskins, free agent
The righty slugger with a pair of 30-homer seasons (and another with 29) could be a relative bargain play coming off a 90-game season for the Brewers hampered by a thumb injury (he was supplanted by Andrew Vaughn by the time he returned from the injured list and was left off the playoff roster).
Since a knee injury that cost him all of 2023, Hoskins, 32, hasn’t produced at the same level the past two seasons as he did earlier in his career. But he played 131 games with 26 homers in 2024, and could be a good rebound play in 2026.
He slugs (career .475), gets on base (career .344), clobbers lefties, has World Series experience (2022), is a good clubhouse guy and might be had for a one- or two-year deal within the Reds’ budget.