The Cincinnati Reds are headed into an offseason full of questions, and the financial picture for 2027 already adds another layer to the uncertainty.
Matt Swartz of MLB Trade Rumors has laid out the club’s projected arbitration salaries for that season, giving an early look at which Reds could be in line for raises and which names may be at the center of bigger decisions down the road.
One of the most notable players on the list is starting pitcher Nick Lodolo. There was plenty of belief that Lodolo might be dealt before this season’s trade deadline, but Cincinnati stayed quiet when deadline day came and went. If the Reds and Lodolo make it through arbitration without a deal, his name could easily surface in trade talk again this winter.
Second baseman Matt McLain is another key piece on the board. He looks positioned to remain with the Reds in 2027, but his future still carries some weight as the organization sorts out what comes next.
All of this lands at a time when Cincinnati is staring at one of the most important offseasons in franchise history. The club is still in the early stages of reshaping its roster for next season, and free agency is set to be a major storyline.
For now, the biggest issue is simple: the Reds have a lot to answer for after another season that left them on the outside looking in when October baseball began. Ownership appears ready to keep the front office in place, but the bigger question is whether that same patience extends to the players on the field.
Opening Day may still feel distant, but the pressure is already building in Cincinnati.
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Reds Fans Have Every Right To Be Upset Over Tejay Antone
Tejay Antones season was the kind of return story that usually gets plenty of recognition around the league. After coming back from three Tommy John surgeries, he was a steady presence in the Reds bullpen and turned in a 3.11 ERA across 58 appearances, a notable achievement for any reliever trying to re-establish himself at the big-league level.
So it stood out when the Players Choice National League Comeback Player of the Year finalists were announced without his name on the list. Sandy Alcantara, Martn Perez and Zack Wheeler made the cut instead, leaving plenty of Reds fans wondering how Antones comeback and performance were overlooked in a category that is supposed to celebrate exactly that kind of season. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Prospect Luke Holman Is Showing More Than A Normal Comeback
Luke Holmans road back has already gone well beyond the usual rehab-box storyline. The Reds 2024 Competitive Balance Round B pick missed valuable development time after Tommy John surgery and was limited to few innings in 2025, but his recent Arizona Fall League start offered a reminder of why Cincinnati was eager to invest in him in the first place. He handled the outing with sharp velocity and better command, and the kind of strikeout-heavy line that hints at more than just a pitcher getting back on a mound.
Holman is still in the middle of refining his mechanics as he moves through rehabilitation, which is the part that matters most for Cincinnati going forward. A healthy arm is one thing, but the real question for the Reds is whether this version of Holman can keep stacking outings like this while continuing to sharpen the pitch mix that gives him a chance to become more than a comeback success story. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Keep Finding Talent But One Organizational Problem Wont Go Away
The Reds keep showing they can spot talent, but the teams still alive in the League Championship Series are a reminder of how often that talent blossoms somewhere else. Milwaukee, Cleveland and Tampa Bay have all gotten useful production from former Cincinnati players, a familiar kind of postscript for an organization that has spent years trying to turn promising names into long-term answers.
Jake Bauers, Nathaniel Lowe and Ryan Vilade are part of that larger pattern, and the frustration for Cincinnati is less about identification than follow-through. The club has landed enough intriguing players to believe the scouting is there, yet too many of those pieces have either been moved on quickly or left before their upside was fully unlocked, leaving player development as the obvious hurdle if the Reds want to keep pace with the best small-market teams. [Read more 🡒]