The first big award news of MLB’s offseason brought two familiar names to the front of the card market conversation: Reds infielder Sal Stewart and Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle, the National League and American League Rookie of the Year winners, respectively.
That matters for collectors because both players now qualify for the Bowman Chrome Red Rookie Redemption buyback. If you’ve got one of those red logo rookie cards, the choice is simple on paper but tougher in practice: take the guaranteed $100 in Fanatics FanCash now, or hold the card and hope the player climbs far enough to trigger the bigger escalators tied to MVP or even Hall of Fame status.
For Stewart, the case for cashing out is pretty straightforward. He entered the year with plenty of buzz after finishing the 2025 season and the 2025 MLB postseason strong, and while he wasn’t the favorite over names like Nolan McLain or J.J.
Wetherholt, he was very much in the mix. Then he backed it up with a season that included an All-Star appearance and what looks to be a Silver Slugger Award, enough to lock up the Rookie of the Year trophy.
Still, the argument for redeeming Stewart now is stronger than waiting. The sense here is that he’s already pretty close to his final form, which makes a massive leap less likely.
He may keep producing at an All-Star level, but the article’s read is that an MVP run is probably too much to ask. And in the National League, there’s also the Shohei Ohtani factor.
As long as Ohtani is in the Dodgers lineup, that award runs through him.
McGonigle’s card, on the other hand, feels like the one to stash. He came into the season as more of a favorite for the AL Rookie of the Year race, thanks to the way he climbed the Tigers’ farm system with elite plate discipline and improving power. He delivered on that promise with a 5.1 WAR season and his first All-Star selection, making his award win feel inevitable by the end.
The bigger reason to hold McGonigle is upside. There’s still room for his in-game power to grow as he matures, and unlike Stewart, he doesn’t have a Shohei Ohtani-level roadblock sitting in front of him in the American League. Aaron Judge is the name that comes up as the biggest future obstacle, but Judge is older than Ohtani and has dealt with injuries in recent seasons, which gives McGonigle a cleaner path than Stewart has in the NL.
In Other News...
Elly De La Cruz Just Gave Reds Fans A New Debate
Sal Stewarts Rookie of the Year season gave the Reds a new offensive centerpiece, but the conversation around Cincinnatis infield got a little more interesting when the All-MLB teams were announced. Elly De La Cruz landed on the Second Team at shortstop, a recognition that still puts him among the games elite and keeps his name in the same breath as the best players at the position.
Bobby Witt Jr. took the First Team spot, which is where the debate starts for Reds fans who have watched De La Cruzs all-around impact grow. He finished second among shortstops in batting average and led the group in slugging percentage and OPS, a combination that only adds fuel to the argument about where he belongs on the sports top tier. Meanwhile, Tejay Antones comeback after his third Tommy John surgery was one of the years better feel-good stories in Cincinnati, even if his return to 58 games did not land him among the National League comeback player finalists. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Krall Just Raised An Uncomfortable Elly De La Cruz Question
Emilio Pagns decision to opt out and reportedly land with the Detroit Tigers only adds to an offseason that already has the Reds juggling a few important roster questions. Cincinnati has several key free agents to sort through, but the biggest one hanging over the front office is still Elly De La Cruz, the dynamic centerpiece who gives the club its most electric presence and, in many ways, its clearest path forward.
Nick Krall said the Reds want to keep De La Cruz long-term, which is the easy part of the conversation. The harder part is the one he left open by not shutting the door on a future trade, even while saying there have been no trade talks this offseason. For a team trying to balance present ambition with long-term control, that leaves De La Cruz as both the obvious answer and the uncomfortable question. [Read more 🡒]
Former Reds Coach Derek Johnson Just Took An Unexpected Next Step
Derek Johnsons next stop came together faster than many around the Reds likely expected. The longtime pitching coach, who was recently replaced in Cincinnati, has landed with the New York Mets in an advisory role, giving him a new home in the game after his stint with the Reds ended following a leave of absence during the 2023 season.
The setup in New York is a little different from the grind Johnson had in Cincinnati. His new position does not require daily travel with the club, which makes it a more flexible arrangement as he remains part of a major league organization without the full-time demands of a traditional dugout job. For a Reds team moving on from a familiar voice in its pitching room, it is another reminder of how quickly the coaching carousel can turn. [Read more 🡒]