The Reds’ easiest path to fixing third base may not be found in free agency at all. If Cincinnati is serious about moving on from Ke’Bryan Hayes, the trade market looks like the cleaner route to a real upgrade.
That’s mostly because the free-agent group at the position does not offer much to work with. Alec Bohm is a poor defender with a bat that is only average at best.
Edmundo Sosa profiles more like a utility piece than a true everyday third baseman. Jeimer Candelario is in that same unexciting tier.
Eugenio Suárez could reach the market if the options line up, and a cheaper reunion would make some sense, but he looks more like a DH now than a full-time answer at third. Bo Bichette could also become available if he opts out, though he is coming off an uneven season and would not fit the Reds’ budget anyway.
Hayes’ glove is the easy part of the equation. He may be a top-five defender in baseball, regardless of position.
But that kind of defense gets swallowed up when the bat is this light, and the source material makes clear just how bad the offensive season was. Cincinnati cannot keep running that out there and hope the position takes care of itself.
That leaves trade possibilities, and a couple of names stand out as plausible targets. Isaac Paredes was already the subject of trade chatter last offseason, and those same forces are likely to be back in play.
The Astros have an infield logjam, and Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, and Christian Walker all carry bloated salaries that are virtually unmovable. Houston also has plenty of other needs and not much budget flexibility.
With the club having been eliminated from the postseason by the Chicago White Sox and Dana Brown fired, the front office picture is about to change again, which only adds to the uncertainty. In that setting, moving Paredes would help Houston rebalance its roster.
Brett Baty is another name to keep in mind. The Mets are heading into a transition after an extremely disappointing 2026, and Baty has been floated in trade discussions for a long time. His slow start dragged down the overall line, but he got hot from June 30 onward and reminded people why he was such a touted prospect.
For Cincinnati, the conclusion is straightforward: if the Reds are going to move on from Hayes, the trade market offers a better chance to land a real answer at third base than the thin free-agent pool. And for Nick Krall, that matters. After the recent noise involving Krall and the Castellini family appears to have settled down, the pressure now is on the baseball operation to get this one right.
In Other News...
Reds Fans Have Every Right To Be Furious Over Sal Stewart Ranking
Sal Stewart gave the Reds exactly the kind of rookie season that usually forces people to pay attention, because he was in the lineup every day and produced like a middle-of-the-order bat. He hit 32 home runs, drove in 111 runs and played all 162 games, numbers that made him one of the most valuable young players in the league and a serious National League Rookie of the Year candidate.
So it was no surprise to see some pushback when media rankings slotted him lower than many Reds fans expected, with concerns tied more to defense and base running than to what he did at the plate. For Cincinnati, though, the larger picture is pretty simple: Stewart looks like a cornerstone moving forward, and the debate over where he lands on a rookie list says more about outside evaluation than it does about the kind of impact he already had. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Suddenly Have A Lefty Bullpen Issue Worth Watching
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Bailey Falter has emerged as a name to watch in that search for depth. The left-hander elected free agency after the 2026 season and has already bounced around the league with stops in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Atlanta, giving him the kind of mileage that can appeal to a club looking for pitching versatility. For the Reds, the question is whether a minor-league deal can help solve the lefty shortage without forcing a bigger roster commitment. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Krall Faces One Reds Mistake He Can't Repeat This Winter
The Reds have reached the part of the offseason where the margins matter as much as the big-ticket names, and Nick Krall seems to know it. Cincinnati needs to get better by spending more wisely, not just spending more, after a recent stretch that left the club with too much money tied up in moves that did not deliver enough value. The front office has found some useful pieces in smaller deals, but the bigger challenge is building a roster that can support the core without creating another payroll headache.
Krall has acknowledged the need to fill out the roster with complementary players and usable platoon options, which is exactly where the Reds have to be sharper this winter. The temptation to chase a familiar veteran or lock into a pricey contract will always be there, but Cincinnati cannot afford another swing-and-miss at the top of the market if it wants to turn a promising group into a real contender. [Read more 🡒]