Simply put, the Cincinnati Reds need more star power. During their playoff series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Reds saw some of the most talented players in the sport shine under the postseason spotlight. The Reds have All-Stars in Elly De La Cruz, Andrew Abbott, and Hunter Greene, but taking the next step will likely require adding some more high-level depth around them.
More likely than not, that star power will have to develop from within. While signing Cincinnati area native Kyle Schwarber would be a storybook move, the Reds’ moves over the last five years have reflected the fact that the front office has been given a tight budget to work with. The next wave of Reds stars will have to grow from their young core, and this will be another offseason where the team works the middle tier of the free agent market to find success.
One of the reasons why the Reds made the playoffs in 2025 was the value the front office found in that middle tier, including Swiss-Army knife pitcher Nick Martinez, closer Emilio Pagán, and cleanup hitter Austin Hays. Signing Jeimer Candelario heading into the 2024 season was a miss, but President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall’s front office has overall been pretty solid at working with the resources the Reds have available to them.
A significant chunk of next year’s roster appears to be set. De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, Matt McLain, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Gavin Lux, TJ Friedl, Noelvi Marte, and Tyler Stephenson will play big roles. Sal Stewart will compete for everyday playing time. Standout prospect Hector Rodriguez will be a factor at some point. Abbott, Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew, Brady Singer, Chase Burns, and Rhett Lowder headline the rotation. Who plays which position is still up in the air, but that’s the team core.
Behind those players and relievers Tony Santillan and Graham Ashcraft, there’s a lot of work to do. The bench and the bullpen remain unsettled. The Reds have seven significant free agents, including two players with team options in Brent Suter and Scott Barlow. The Reds would benefit from having rotation/long relief depth because, if they lose Martinez and Suter, they’d have just two relievers locked into spots in next year’s bullpen. With Hays and Miguel Andujar hitting the free agent market, they’d benefit greatly from adding at least one impact bat.
At the same time, most of the Reds’ “young core” are reaching the point in their rookie contracts where they’re able to hit arbitration and get raises. Cincinnati is projected to spend tens of millions of dollars on those raises, according to MLB Trade Rumors’ arbitration projections for 2026.
The Reds will have to be creative again in the free agent and trade markets. Fortunately, there’s a solid class of outfield free agents who could fit their 2026 roster. They could make a push for a consistent left-handed bat like Mike Yastrzemski, Trent Grisham, or Cedric Mullins; buy low on Michael Conforto; or add a reliable platoon player like Willi Castro, Rob Refsnyder, or Ramon Laureano. If they want to completely prioritize offense, there’s also a strong free agent class of power-hitting first basemen that includes Ryan O’Hearn and Josh Naylor.
While none of these players are stars, they each would provide a different type of puzzle piece on the Reds’ roster. The Reds also need more players who are already on the roster to get closer to an All-Star level. General Manager Brad Meador stresses the importance of players who are already on the roster taking another step. “We need guys to have good offseasons, show back up ready to go, and show back up ready to take the next step,” he said after the series loss in L.A. “We all know we need to take the next step. Part of that is leadership. Some of the young guys aren’t young any more.”
The Reds’ search for some more star power is an internal one, and it starts with three players who could shape what the entire 2026 season is for this team. Aside from De La Cruz, no Reds position player has more talent than Marte. He opened the 2025 season in Triple-A and went on to become one of the Reds’ most dynamic players during the season’s second half. He frequently hit in the prime No. 2 spot in the lineup.
Lux remembers an 11-pitch at-bat from Marte late in the season that showed Lux how high his ceiling could be. “This might not be a bold prediction, but he’s going to be an All-Star next year,” Lux said. “The strides he’s taken this year, he has grown up. He has just been really fun to be around every day in the clubhouse.”
A slump down the stretch led to Marte finishing the season with a league-average statline, and he was on the bench for the Reds’ elimination game against the Dodgers. He has power, an athletic swing, plenty of speed, and the ability to make impact plays in the outfield.
The next step for Marte is becoming a more polished hitter. “I’m extremely proud of where he has come,” said hitting coach Chris Valaika. “It’s only going to continue to get better. That comes from experience. That’s nothing we can tell him in an offseason. He’s just going to continue to learn how pitchers are going to attack him.”
The next swing piece for 2026 is McLain. He was the Reds’ best player in 2023, missed all of 2024 after having shoulder surgery, and grinded through a challenging 2025 season. Big league players coming off of shoulder surgery typically need to work through a full year to get right, and McLain’s statistically shaky 2025 season wasn’t totally surprising.
Because of his impact defense and base running, manager Terry Francona stuck with McLain almost every single day. “He has had a lot thrown at him this year, like our whole team has,” Tito said. “He never quit. He didn’t pout. He plays defense. He’s probably our best base runner. He wasn’t throwing (stuff) in the dugout. He has handled it. There’s a better player than what his end of the year numbers are going to be. Because we were patient, I think we’ll see it.”
And then there’s Stewart. Even though he has a month of big league experience under his belt, he still qualifies as the Reds’ top prospect. He showed off his power in September, and Stewart also drove in four runs in the playoffs.
The 21-year-old’s confidence stands out to everyone around him, and the team has high hopes for Stewart in 2026. “His offseason is going to be really important because there’s so much to love about him,” Francona said. “But there are also things he needs to get better at, defensively and things like that. But if he’s willing to buy in, which I have a feeling he is because he wants to be good, there’s a very special player there.”
If Marte becomes an All-Star, McLain turns back into the player he was in 2023, and Stewart takes the natural next step in his first full year in the big leagues, the Reds will have a threatening lineup around De La Cruz. If the Reds then also acquire an impact bat or two via free agency or trades, they’ll have the makeup of a true contender to go on a deep playoff run.
Charlie Goldsmith has covered the Reds and Bengals since 2020, and his newsletter on the teams can be found at charlieschalkboard.substack.com. He’s @CharlieG__ on X.
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