The Cincinnati Reds don’t need a complete teardown this winter. What they need is a few targeted moves that shore up the weak spots around a young core that still has real upside.
That became pretty clear in 2026. Cincinnati went 75-87, finished with a 4.83 team ERA and too often leaned on Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart for offense. The pieces are there, but the Reds need more consistent production at the plate and steadier innings on the mound if they want to be more than a promising group on paper.
One of the clearest places to start is the outfield, where Ian Happ would fit as a balanced addition. The longtime Chicago Cubs outfielder and former Cincinnati Bearcat is set for free agency after finishing his three-year, $61 million contract, which gives the Reds a chance to add a proven bat without giving up prospects.
Happ’s 2026 numbers weren’t especially loud by his standards. He hit .218 with 24 home runs and a .738 OPS.
Still, the broader body of work matters here. He has reached 20 homers in six seasons and averaged 22 over the last six years, and he brings the kind of walk rate that can help an offense manufacture more chances.
He’d also bring value with the glove, having won four straight Gold Gloves in left field through 2025. For Terry Francona, that kind of defensive reliability comes with some lineup flexibility, too.
The rotation is another area that needs help, especially with Hunter Greene expected to miss the 2027 season after Tommy John surgery in August. Cincinnati doesn’t necessarily need a frontline ace.
It needs someone who can soak up quality innings while younger starters continue to grow. Chris Bassitt fits that bill if the Reds are willing to bet on a short-term deal.
Bassitt is 37, and the warning signs are obvious enough. In 2026, he went 9-5 with a 4.59 ERA over 102 innings.
But there’s still enough recent track record to make him interesting. In 2025 with the Blue Jays, he posted a 3.96 ERA across 170 innings.
His experience against different lineups and his deep pitch mix could give Cincinnati a stabilizing presence in a rotation that will need help from several younger arms.
Behind the plate, the Reds face another decision that could shape the offseason. Tyler Stephenson is entering free agency after spending his entire professional career in Cincinnati, and letting him walk would leave a real question mark, especially with top catching prospect Alfredo Duno not expected to be ready for Opening Day in 2027.
Stephenson hit .241 with 15 home runs, 54 RBIs and a .727 OPS over 130 games in 2026. That doesn’t scream star-level production, but it does represent a dependable major league catcher at a position where that isn’t easy to find. Baseball Reference credited him with 2.5 WAR, a reminder that his value went beyond the box score.
Bringing Stephenson back may not be the headline move of the winter, but it might be one of the smartest. If the Reds can retain him, they can avoid creating a new problem while they work on the outfield and the rotation.
That’s the bigger picture here. Signing Happ, adding Bassitt and re-signing Stephenson wouldn’t magically guarantee a playoff spot, but those three moves would attack three obvious needs without touching the farm system. For Cincinnati, that’s the kind of offseason that could make a young team much more dangerous in 2027.
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Carlos Sanchez, Jay Allen II, Cody Adcock and Bryce Hubbart are all in the mix as protection candidates, and Carter Graham looks like a near-lock to get a spot. Cam Collier, though, is the name that hangs over the whole discussion, because his status is the one that could make this winters roster decisions a lot more interesting for Cincinnati than it first appears. [Read more 🡒]