The Cincinnati Reds have a clear offseason problem: too much of the roster doesn’t fit together cleanly, and the club can’t keep hoping the current mix suddenly clicks. They’ve got talent, sure, but the lineup still has too many spots where production falls off hard. If they’re serious about moving forward, this winter has to bring real change through free agency or the trade market.
That’s why Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter naming the Reds as one of the top landing spots for Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham is worth watching, even if the fit comes with plenty of baggage.
Reuter pointed to the possibility of Grisham pairing with Dane Myers in center field, writing: "Dane Myers had a 101 OPS+ over 334 plate appearances, but with 19 extra-base hits, a .377 slugging percentage and an OPS that was 99 points higher against left-handed pitching, he is a straight platoon option," Reuter wrote. "That actually makes the Grisham fit even stronger, as he could pair with Myers in center field and give the team a potential insurance policy while young guys like Héctor Rodríguez and Carlos Jorge work to establish themselves as big league options."
On paper, that’s the kind of move Cincinnati could consider if it wants a low-cost veteran who can slot into a platoon. Myers handles lefties well, which would open the door for Grisham to take the stronger side of the arrangement against right-handers. Grisham did perform slightly better against righties than lefties last year, so there is at least a path to him being a serviceable bench piece if the Reds decide they need one.
But there’s also a reason to be cautious here. Grisham did not look good for the Yankees at times this season, and his rough stretch included a bad showing in an elimination game that ended New York’s year. The bigger concern is whether Cincinnati should be spending even modest money on a veteran whose best seasons are already behind him.
For a Reds team that has plenty of holes to address, that’s the real question: does Grisham improve the roster enough to justify the cost, or would those dollars be better used somewhere else?
In Other News...
Joey Votto Just Added Intrigue To A Reds Infield Debate
After a season that ended without a postseason berth, the Reds are heading into an offseason where the infield will be one of the biggest talking points. Questions remain at second and third base, and that has opened the door to all kinds of outside ideas about how Cincinnati could reshape the group and find more stability for next year.
Joey Votto added a little more buzz to the conversation when he signaled support for a fans suggestion that the Reds pursue Yankees infielder Anthony Volpe. Volpe has been uneven lately, but he fits the kind of reclamation-project logic that often gets attached to young infielders with upside, and his name suddenly has a little more traction in Cincinnatis orbit as the roster discussion starts to heat up. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Need A Veteran Catcher Stopgap Sooner Than Expected
The Reds already have one eye on their catching picture beyond the immediate season, and the uncertainty around Tyler Stephenson only sharpens the issue. Nick Krall's recent comments suggested the club still has work to do in figuring out what it would take to keep Stephenson in Cincinnati, which matters because the organizational depth behind him is not especially deep at the big-league level.
If Stephenson is elsewhere by 2027, the Reds would be leaning on Jose Trevino and Will Banfield for much of the catching load, a setup that leaves little margin for injury or regression. That is why a veteran stopgap is starting to make sense, and one possible answer could come from the free-agent market, where a catcher with experience and a modest price tag might fit the Reds' need for stability without creating a long-term commitment. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Could Find A Third Base Answer With One Big Catch
The Reds are still searching for a real answer at third base, and Baltimore infielder Jordan Westburg has emerged as the kind of buy-low target that fits the front offices budget-minded approach. He brings the sort of power and defensive value Cincinnati would like to add to its lineup, and for a club trying to improve without spending recklessly, that profile is hard to ignore.
The catch is the same one that usually shadows any discussion about Westburg: availability. His talent is clear enough to make him interesting, but the Reds would have to decide how much risk they can live with when a players history raises questions about whether he can stay on the field long enough to be a dependable answer at a premium position. [Read more 🡒]