The Reds don’t need every move to be a headline grabber, and their 2026 season offered a pretty clear reminder of why. Eugenio Suárez was the splashy free-agent addition, and he turned in some of the worst numbers of his career. Meanwhile, the quieter bets - JJ Bleday and Nathaniel Lowe - ended up giving Cincinnati some of its steadiest production at the plate.
That’s the lane a club like this has to keep working. Sure, Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart could use help, and any offseason plan has to account for the looming lockout.
But roster building is never just about the big names. It’s about the players who can keep things from falling apart when injuries pile up or fatigue starts to bite.
That’s why Drew Waters makes sense as a name to watch. The former Royals top prospect is 27, didn’t play in the majors last season, and hasn’t gotten a ton of runway since his breakout with Kansas City in 2022. Still, there’s a real utility to his game: he can defend, run, and hit from both sides of the plate.
Waters also brings the kind of split-based upside that can make a bench bat matter. He elected free agency earlier this month and is free to sign wherever he finds the right fit. On the surface, his big-league track record isn’t exciting - he owns an 84 wRC+ - but he did make some progress in Triple-A, hitting .327/.380/.509 against left-handed pitching.
That doesn’t make him a star, and it doesn’t even solve every issue a roster has. Dane Myers is already there, after all. But if Waters can make those switch-hitting splits more balanced, he becomes the sort of reserve outfielder who can be useful no matter who’s on the mound.
There’s more to his profile than the bat, too. Waters stole 21 bases in Triple-A this year, and his defensive work has rated well at all three outfield spots over the course of his career, even if he looks best in the corners.
He’s not the kind of pickup that changes the conversation around a lineup. But that’s not the point. Waters could help raise the floor as a fourth or fifth outfielder, and that’s exactly the sort of minor-league deal the Reds should be looking for as they try to build better depth for 2027.
In Other News...
Reds Offseason Could Shape Sal Stewart In One Important Way
The Reds head into the offseason with a long shopping list, and the biggest decisions are not limited to the rotation and bullpen. Cincinnati also has to sort out third base, find a right-handed-hitting outfielder and address catching depth, all while trying to keep the lineup moving in a way that fits the next wave of young talent. Sal Stewarts historic rookie season in 2026 only sharpened the focus on how the club can best support him as he moves into the next stage of his career.
One name that naturally fits into that conversation is Paul Goldschmidt, who could bring both stability and a veteran presence to a clubhouse trying to bridge present needs with future upside. For the Reds, the appeal goes beyond just plugging a lineup hole, since a player like Goldschmidt could help guide Stewart while also giving the team a useful piece in the mix against certain matchups. What Cincinnati decides this winter will say plenty about how aggressively it wants to shape Stewarts path, and whether it can turn a roster need into a broader developmental advantage. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Have To Gamble To Fix Their Second Base Problem
The Reds are heading into an offseason where second base looks like one of the clearer spots to upgrade, and that search may force them to balance need against risk. MLB.coms Mark Feinsand pointed to Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm as a possible fit for Cincinnati, a name that makes sense on paper because the Reds have not gotten enough offense from the position and need more impact somewhere in the middle of the lineup.
Chisholms recent track record is exactly why this kind of fit is not simple. He delivered a strong 2025 season, then followed it with a downturn in 2026, which means any pursuit would have to account for both the upside and the uncertainty. For the Reds, the question is whether they are willing to make a meaningful commitment to solve a problem that has lingered, or whether they prefer to wait for a cleaner answer elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Face A Messy Offseason That Could Reshape Their 2027 Lineup
The Reds spent the 2026 season sorting through a roster that still feels like it is being built around a few core names, and the look ahead to Opening Day 2027 already has that same uneasy mix of promise and uncertainty. Elly De La Cruz remains the headliner, Spencer Steer is still part of the conversation, and Hunter Burns has emerged as one of the most important pieces in the picture after what he showed last year.
What makes the offseason especially interesting is how much could still change before the lineup card is ever written. Hunter Greenes injury clouds the pitching plan, Nick Lodolos status is part of the trade chatter, and third base is among the spots that may need help if the front office decides to go outside the organization. The Reds have enough talent to imagine a competitive group again in 2027, but the exact shape of that group could hinge on a few moves that are far from settled. [Read more 🡒]