The Cincinnati Reds don’t need a quiet winter. They need one that changes the direction of the franchise.
With lockout talks looming and postseason baseball still unfolding, the Reds are once again watching from the outside after a season that fell short of expectations. The club has the kind of young talent plenty of teams would love to build around, but that core never got enough help.
Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart and Chase Burns give the Reds real upside, and Burns was the lone bright spot in the starting rotation. Beyond that, the season unraveled. The front office banked on other young players stepping forward, but that plan never really took hold.
Ke’Bryan Hayes and Matt McLain were supposed to provide more at the plate. Instead, the offense never got the kind of lift the organization needed. On the mound, injuries and disappointing performances chipped away at what was supposed to be one of the strongest rotations in the league.
That’s why standing pat this winter would be a dangerous move. Running back most of this roster in 2027 would only deepen the frustration for a fan base that has already seen too many winters of the same thing. When the front office does nothing, the result has not been hard to spot.
The better path is obvious: be aggressive. If the Reds show they’re serious about building a winner, they’d earn more trust from a fan base that has every reason to be skeptical.
Taking a swing and missing is one thing. Watching the same problems repeat because nobody tried to fix them is something else entirely.
Sometimes the risk won’t pay off. That’s part of the game.
But staying stuck in place isn’t a plan, either. For the Reds, this offseason is the chance to flip the script.
In Other News...
Reds May Need A Different Player At The Center Of Their Future
The Reds have spent the better part of this rebuild turning over familiar faces and letting a new core come into view, with Elly De La Cruz, Chase Burns and Sal Stewart among the most notable names to emerge since 2022. It has given Cincinnati a different kind of optimism, but also a clearer sense of how much work still remains before the roster looks like a true contender again.
Stewart stands out because of more than just promise. His contract situation and the clubs current lack of depth make him look like the kind of player a front office can build around for the long haul, especially if the Reds decide the immediate path back to relevance is still too crowded to take in one jump. For a team trying to balance patience with pressure, the question may be less about who is already the face of the future and more about who should be at the center of it. [Read more 🡒]
Eugenio Surez And The Reds Suddenly Look Headed In Different Directions
The Reds decision to place Eugenio Surez on outright waivers before Sept. 1 and see no claim come in was another sign of how far the organization has drifted from the player who once helped define its infield. Surezs 2023 season was uneven, with injuries and performance issues interrupting any momentum he tried to build, and the front office has made clear it is chasing a different kind of lineup now. President of baseball operations Nick Krall has pointed toward a contact-first approach, one that simply does not fit Surezs profile.
A reduced-deal return to Cincinnati is still possible, which keeps the door from being completely shut, but the broader message is hard to miss. The Reds are not just sorting through one roster decision here. They are signaling a preference for a different offensive identity, and that puts Surez and the club on separate tracks as they look ahead to 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Need A Surprising Sal Stewart Shift To Fix The Lineup
The Reds are already looking ahead to 2027, and the focus may land on a familiar issue: third base. KeBryan Hayes has the position for now, but his offense has been a problem, which has pushed Cincinnati to think more creatively about how to reshape the infield if it wants more punch in the lineup.
One option gaining traction is a move that would send Sal Stewart back to third, where he has played before, and allow the Reds to shop for first base from a deeper pool. It is a notable pivot because finding a true impact third baseman through free agency or trade has not been easy, and Cincinnatis farm system does not offer an obvious immediate fix at the position. [Read more 🡒]