If the Cincinnati Reds want to get back to October baseball, the roster is going to have to look different than it did this season.
A year after making the playoffs for the first time since the shortened 2020 season, the Reds were sent home quickly again. Like that 2020 run, this one ended in a Wild Card sweep, this time at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. And while the franchise still hasn’t found postseason success in more than 30 years, simply getting there remains the first hurdle.
The biggest problem this year was hard to pin on just one thing. The injuries piled up in the rotation, and the offense never consistently found enough production from the infield or the outfield. It was the kind of season where almost every area could be put under the microscope.
That reality puts the front office in a tough spot. The team may need major turnover, and that could mean moving on from recognizable names.
Pitching is the obvious place to start. The rotation was hammered by injuries, and without Chase Burns, the Reds may not have had a single arm they could rely on once September arrived.
They’ll need to bring in a starter, maybe more than one, especially with Hunter Greene unavailable in 2027. It also wouldn’t be a shock if the club at least listened to trade offers on Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott this winter.
The lineup needs help too, especially in the outfield. Bringing JJ Bleday back would be acceptable, but that alone won’t be enough. The Reds need several more bats they can count on every day.
The infield is another issue that can’t stay the same. Ke'Bryan Hayes and Matt McLain can’t keep occupying most of the reps at second and third base.
One possible setup would have Sal Stewart at third, Elly De La Cruz at shortstop, a free agent addition at second, and Spencer Steer at first. But if the front office decides Steer is available in a trade, that would push Stewart to first and create another opening at third.
Then there’s the biggest call of all, the one that could define everything else. If the Reds decide they don’t want to be caught in the inevitable bidding war for De La Cruz, then a deal has to happen.
That would mean the rebuild is fully on. The club can’t afford to gamble on keeping its superstar shortstop through free agency.
A blockbuster trade could be coming if that’s the direction they choose. It wouldn’t be the preferred path if the goal is to return to the postseason. But it may be the move that gives the Reds the best shot at building a real playoff team - one capable of winning a series.
In Other News...
Elly De La Cruz Trade Talk Just Put Reds Fans In A Bind
The Reds are in a familiar spot, trying to balance the promise of a young core with the reality of building a roster that can sustain success. In that conversation, Elly De La Cruz has become the flashpoint, with the article weighing whether Cincinnati should keep leaning into his star power or use his value to reshape the rest of the club. Recent performances and roster moves only add to the sense that the front office still has work to do before the Reds can feel like a finished product.
Joey Vottos take on the subject gives the debate extra bite, because it frames De La Cruz not just as the face of the franchise, but as the kind of asset that could bring back a haul of prospects. The broader argument is about direction as much as talent, with Milwaukee held up as an example of a team that has repeatedly made hard choices in the name of staying competitive. For Reds fans, it is the kind of idea that can make sense on paper and still feel impossible to embrace. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Prospect Carlos Jorge Is Giving Fans A Reason To Watch Winter Ball
The Dominican Winter League opened with a little extra intrigue for Reds followers, and it came from a pair of familiar names in Gigantes Del Cibao's lineup. Carlos Jorge and Noelvi Marte were both in the starting nine, giving Cincinnati fans an early look at two prospects who could spend the winter shaping their next steps while the organization keeps tabs on talent scattered across several leagues.
Jorge made his debut count right away, connecting for a home run, while Marte helped round out the offense as Gigantes Del Cibao picked up the win. Between the Dominican circuit and other winter stops like the Arizona Fall League, Mexican Winter League and Venezuelan Winter League, the Reds have plenty of young players worth following, and Jorge's start is exactly the kind of first impression that can make those late nights a little more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Stephensons Reds Future May Come Down To One Tough Reality
Tyler Stephensons Reds tenure may be approaching a familiar kind of crossroads, one where production, age and payroll all start tugging in different directions. The catcher is expected to reach free agency soon, and there is already buzz around possible suitors such as the White Sox and Yankees, which only adds to the sense that Cincinnati is staring at a difficult decision with one of its more established players.
The Reds have plenty to think about beyond one looming contract, and that matters here. They have roster needs to juggle and limited appetite for a market that could get expensive quickly, even as Stephensons future remains unsettled and speculation builds about where he might land by 2027. For now, the clubs position looks clear enough: interest is out there, but so are the realities that make a reunion far from automatic. [Read more 🡒]