Spring is here! It’s a sacred tradition, like the Opening Day parade, playing the first game of the season at home, and the annual heartbreak of believing the Reds’ front office might finally get it right. Most fan bases are well-versed in heartbreak, but Cincinnati sports fans have perfected the art of mixing heartbreak with an annual shot of adrenaline-laced hope. It’s in our DNA, right alongside the chili.
Last year, the Redlegs stumbled to a 77-85 record, the kind of middling, soul-crushing mediocrity that’s defined this franchise for far too long. The offense sputtered, the defense resembled a not-so-well-rehearsed comedy of errors, and the bullpen … well, the less said the better. But this offseason, Cincinnati did something radical: They actually tried to get better. Yes, really.
The most important move was firing manager David Bell. He doesn’t deserve all the blame for the club’s failures, but he did preside over too many basepath blunders and defensive misadventures. The Reds replaced him with Terry Francona, a genius move.
Francona is a two-time World Series champ, a man who knows how to win with young players, and, most importantly, a guy who won’t tolerate the kind of mind-melting baserunning that plagued the Reds in 2024. Cincinnati gets a leader who combines modern analytics with old-school wisdom, which is about as close as we’re going to get to hiring the ghost of Sparky Anderson.
Francona won in Boston and in Cleveland and is without question the best manager the Reds have hired in the last quarter-century. I don’t want to overstate the impact of a field skipper, but for a team that’s spent the past decade lurching between rebuilding and treading water, a steady, competent manager is a reason for genuine excitement. Many will say that a manager alone can’t add many wins, and maybe that’s true, but sports history is littered with examples of a fresh culture and a little accountability changing a team’s entire complexion. Maybe it’s just vibes, but just ask Hunter Greene, who’s talked openly about how Francona’s arrival feels like a breath of fresh air in the clubhouse.
Then came the player acquisitions, which weren’t Earth-shattering but did address some weaknesses. The biggest move was trading for Brady Singer, a reliable strike-thrower who provides much-needed stability in the rotation. Losing Jonathan India in that deal was bittersweet, sure—India was a heart-and-soul guy at times—but it was a logical move with Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz entrenched in the infield. Singer slots in nicely behind Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo (assuming his body doesn’t betray him again), and Nick Martinez to form a rotation that doesn’t look half-bad on paper.
Cincinnati also buffed up the bullpen. Enter Taylor Rogers and Scott Barlow, two veteran arms with closing experience. No one is predicting a modern-day Nasty Boys just yet, but at least the Reds (hopefully) won’t be forced to watch their middle relievers hand away winnable games in the seventh inning. Another addition that flew a bit under the radar was Jose Trevino, snagged from the Yankees for reliever Fernando Cruz. Trevino is a Gold Glove catcher who offers a steady veteran presence. He won’t be the best hitter on the team, but he’s a clear upgrade over last year’s non-Tyler Stephenson options behind the plate.
Then there’s Gavin Lux, whom the Reds pried him away from the Dodgers in the hope of revitalizing his once-touted bat in a friendlier hitting environment. He’s had his ups and downs (and a nasty ACL injury back in 2023), but if Lux can stay healthy he can help this club in a number of ways. I think it was a good acquisition.
Another intriguing name is Austin Hays, who arrived on a one-year deal. Though 2024 was marred by injuries and a bizarre kidney infection—seriously, a kidney infection derailed his entire 2024 season; only the Reds could trade for a guy who missed time due to failing internal organs—Hays was an All-Star in Baltimore not too long ago, showing he can produce power and decent glovework when his body cooperates, not to mention a cannon of an arm. If he can bounce back, he’ll put the Reds outfield in a better spot than last year’s crew that, statistically speaking, was about as effective as traffic cones in left and right field. Expect to see Hays hitting cleanup on Opening Day.
But let’s be clear: This roster is still flawed. Cincinnati needed an impact bat, preferably a slugging outfielder, and they swung and missed on Luis Robert Jr. because—brace yourself for a shock—ownership didn’t want to spend the money. The outfield is improved (I think?) but remains a hodgepodge of “maybe-this-works” solutions. The bullpen looks better, but bullpen success is about as predictable as the stock market. And Spencer Steer, one of the team’s most consistent hitters, looks like he’ll start the season on the IL with a shoulder injury.
The Reds’ unwillingness to take the next step financially remains their Achilles’ heel. They have a solid core of young players, but the front office operates like a guy who buys a fancy new suit and then refuses to get it tailored. They came close to trading for Robert Jr., but Cincinnati balked when the White Sox asked for top prospect Edwin Arroyo. And maybe it was for the best. Robert can be a superstar or he can be the guy who slashes .224/.278/.379. As usual, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, and Cincinnati wasn’t willing to commit major dollars and a top prospect to find out which version they’d get. Given the front office’s history of stopping just short of all-in, perhaps this was par for the course.
Still, there’s reason for optimism! It’s spring, the daisies are sprouting, local talk radio is abuzz with predictions of 85-plus wins, and I am, against all odds, excited once again.
Greene looks ready to take another step toward cementing his “ace” status, and the rotation, if it stays healthy (big if), has legitimate upside and something they haven’t had in recent years: depth. Elly remains one of the game’s most electrifying young players, the type who can break statcast machines with towering home runs and sizzle around the bases like a young Eric Davis.
Also, let’s talk about McLain. Before injuries derailed his 2024 season, he looked like a budding All-Star. If he stays healthy, the Reds have a top-tier middle infield. TJ Friedl is healthy again, Christian Encarnacion-Strand has 30-bomb potential, and if Steer’s shoulder holds up he remains one of the team’s most reliable bats. Stephenson—once he returns from a pesky oblique injury—provides a middle-of-the-order anchor behind the plate that most teams would love to have.
Even the bullpen, which was a disaster in 2024, looks far more stable. Rogers and Barlow bring experience, Alexis Díaz still bubbles with talent, and the presence of multiple competent left-handed relievers can hopefully help prevent the annual summer bullpen implosion.
Will it be enough? Is this the year the Reds finally return to the postseason? Maybe. The NL Central is wide open, and if a few things break their way, the Reds could absolutely find themselves playing meaningful baseball in September. That’s a big “if,” though. The Reds still lack a true middle-of-the-order slugger. The outfield defense could be a disaster. And let’s be honest: Cincinnati has a long, proud tradition of finding new and creative ways to disappoint its fans.
Still, spring beckons us to ignore the cynic in our heads and embrace the optimist in our hearts. Why not believe that Francona will restore order? Why not believe in the wonders of possibility? Hey, it’s spring, and hope is still technically alive.
Let’s play ball.
Chad Dotson helms Reds coverage at Cincinnati Magazine and is co-author of “The Big 50: The Men and Moments That Made the Cincinnati Reds,” revised, updated, and available in bookstores now. His newsletter about Cincinnati sports can be found at chaddotson.com.
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