If Bob Castellini really is stepping back and letting the baseball people run the show, the Reds could be staring at a very Brewers-like winter - the kind where the front office makes the uncomfortable move instead of the sentimental one.
That was the backdrop for The Athletic’s report earlier this week, which painted a messy picture of the Reds’ decision-making structure. The story pointed to meddling owners, rocky trade talks, and even a list of deals Bob Castellini supposedly declined to approve. According to the report, Nick Krall brought that list to Castellini during a meeting with top team officials in the first half of the 2026 season.
Castellini later told the media that Krall and Brad Meador will return in 2027 and said, "The baseball leaders will make the baseball decisions.” If that holds, then the Reds may finally have room to make the sort of cold, efficient moves that have defined Milwaukee for years.
Emilio Pagán is the first name that jumps out.
Pagán’s season looked like a mess before the injury. He went down with a strained hamstring carrying a rough 6.43 ERA and only 11 strikeouts in 14 innings.
At the time, he thought his year was done. Instead, after eight weeks of rehab, he came back in July and found his footing again.
Since returning, he has been nearly untouchable. Pagán has posted a 1.88 ERA over his last 30 games, struck out more than 30% of the hitters he has faced, and piled up 19 saves, the most among Major League relievers in that stretch. He has also been one of the club’s few veteran voices and a favorite of Terry Francona.
The wrinkle is age and value. Pagán has a $10 million team option for 2027 that most expect him to exercise, but he is 35, and there is no guarantee this version lasts. A proven closer is always going to draw attention, even if moving him would not sit well in the room.
Dane Myers is another player who could wind up in the conversation.
The Reds acquired Myers from the Miami Marlins last winter, but his fit may not be as clean as it first appeared. He will be 31 next season and is entering the first year of his arbitration window, which makes him a little less attractive as a long-term piece. His splits also point toward a short-side platoon role, and with the left-handed Carlos Jorge getting center field work this September, the outfield picture could get crowded fast.
Myers has shown he can make brave plays in the outfield, but the numbers say he is not exactly locking down the job. His -8 defensive runs saved tell that part of the story. The Reds already watched TJ Friedl’s disappointing 2026 season serve as a warning sign, and that lesson is pretty simple: move an outfielder before the decline gets uglier.
Then there is Tejay Antone, the move that would probably land hardest with everyone involved.
This is the kind of trade that would not go over well with either the clubhouse or the fanbase, which is exactly why it belongs in this conversation. Antone has meant a lot to a lot of people, and the source material makes clear that his story goes well beyond what he does on the mound.
Still, the baseball case is not hard to see. He will be 33 next season and has already gone through three Tommy John surgeries. He has made 57 appearances this year, putting up a 3.17 ERA and a 3.80 FIP, and he is heading into his final year of arbitration before becoming a free agent after next season.
Whether the Reds should actually shop him is debatable. But if the goal is to act more like the Brewers, the uncomfortable reality is that sentimental value may not carry much weight. From a PR standpoint, this would be the kind of move Castellini would almost certainly hate.
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Reds Just Sent An Early Offseason Message Fans Wont Ignore
A day after making a brief return to the majors, Julian Aguiar was on the move again, this time leaving the Reds organization on waivers and landing with the Cubs. The former Cincinnati pitching prospect had spent most of 2026 at Triple-A while working back from Tommy John surgery in 2024, and his recall in September at least hinted that the Reds still saw a useful arm worth keeping close.
Instead, Chicago moved quickly to claim him, adding a fresh option to its pitching depth for the stretch run. Aguiar cannot appear on the Cubs postseason roster because he was added after Sept. 1, but he can still be used in late-season games, which gives the division rival an immediate chance to see whether Cincinnati may have let an arm get away too soon. [Read more 🡒]
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Francona still has a club option for 2028, but the longer-term picture around his future remains unsettled enough that the Reds are clearly keeping an eye on what comes next. Giving Napoli a chance to steer things in a live game was more than a symbolic gesture, it was another sign that the organization may already be testing the contours of a possible succession plan. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Bullpen Meltdown Revives A Frustrating Late-Inning Problem
Elly De La Cruz had already given Cincinnati a milestone to celebrate, joining the 30/30 club with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases on the season, but the Reds could not protect the lead behind him. Toronto scored four times in the bottom of the seventh to erase a 5-2 deficit and open the final series of the year with a comeback win, a reminder of how quickly one uneven inning can tilt a game at this stage of the season.
For the Reds, the frustrating part was familiar. Their pitchers handed out more walks and hit batters than they recorded strikeouts, and the Blue Jays made them pay for the free traffic. In a year that has featured plenty of encouraging individual moments, Cincinnati is still left with the same late-inning question hanging over its bullpen as the calendar winds down. [Read more 🡒]