The Reds hoped to make the jump from underdogs with an exciting young core to legitimate playoff contenders. It didn't happen this year. With a splash managerial hire and returns to health from most of the rotation, expectations will again be high going into 2025.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Hunter Greene, RHP: $47MM through 2028 (including buyout of '29 club option)
- Jeimer Candelario, 3B: $30MM through 2026 (including buyout of '27 club option)
- Jonathan India, 2B: $7.05MM through 2025 (eligible for arbitration in '26)
Option Decisions
- RHP Nick Martinez holds $12MM player option (no buyout)
- RHP Emilio Pagán holds $8MM player option ($250K buyout)
- Team, RHP Jakob Junis hold $8MM mutual option; Brewers are responsible for $1MM of the $3MM buyout
- Team holds $3.5MM option on LHP Brent Suter ($500K buyout)
- Team holds $3.5MM option on C Luke Maile ($500K buyout)
2025 financial commitments (assuming Martinez opt-out and Pagán opts in): $39.05MM
Total future commitments (assuming Martinez opt-out and Pagán opts in): $95.05MM
Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections via Matt Swartz)
- Ty France (5.089): $8.6MM
- Tejay Antone (5.000): $1.1MM
- Santiago Espinal (4.149): 4MM
- Jake Fraley (4.097): $3.3MM
- Tyler Stephenson (4.056): $5.2MM
- Austin Wynns (4.017): $1.4MM
- Ian Gibaut (3.077): $800K
- Sam Moll (3.075): $1.1MM
- Alexis Díaz (3.000): $4.2MM
- Nick Lodolo (3.000): $2.2MM
Non-tender candidates: France, Antone, Espinal, Fraley, Wynns, Gibaut
Free Agents
The Reds have begun their offseason with a bang. As the season wound down, Cincinnati dismissed sixth-year skipper David Bell. That wasn't especially surprising with the team en route to a 77-85 finish that represented a five-game drop relative to last season. Bell's replacement was a stunner. The Reds brought Terry Francona out of what proved to be a one-year retirement. Landing one of the sport's most respected managers should renew optimism going into 2025.
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During the entire Tito era in Cleveland, the one memory that sticks with me is how he would wrap fresh gum with his chewed gum, and pop them in his mouth. That, and him yelling at Bauer for hurling a ball over the outfield wall.
Bauer and Tito reunion in Cincy 2025.
Yea, Bauer can come over & clean his house. Bauer! Ahahahahaha!
Last years version of the reds off season outlook got 79 comments.
mlbtraderumors.com/2023/10/offseason-outlook-cinci…
They need to dump India and put that money towards pitching. One of McClain/CES/Marte/Steer should be able to step up and produce big numbers in an everyday role.
Marte was beyond awful last year. No reason to trade off an affordable 2B in the hopes Marte arrives.
Of the four guys you mentioned, only one (Steer) gave them any production. Marte and CES had rough years and didn’t produce. McLain missed a whole year. India at least was there all year and gave them something.
I wouldn’t be dumping any player for those guys right now until you see any of those guys produce anything other than Steer, but they sure need to add some outfield offense.
As far as pitching, they have had the money with a sub 90 million payroll for two years and did nothing. You really expect that to change with an extra few million?
I agree with all you said. As far as spending money on pitching, I would use it on retaining Martinez versus Sonny Gray. There should be a huge difference in the cost. Spend some money on relievers and get a big OF bat. I agree on the 2 you referred to. . Marte and CES have a lot of potential but are unproven at this point. Whether those 2 produce could make or break the Reds next season (along with more bad health)… If you hang onto them and they don’t produce, you are doomed, yet I would be hesitant to trade away so much potential.,
Hopefully they do line up some good back end relievers too.
I’d like to have both Martinez and Gray with all the rotation injuries (Lodolo again gone for a long period along with the others here and there) but that may be too much to ask from the front office.
The old saying you can never have too much pitching is so true. Cost is the obstacle there. I still believe all the weight and strength training is behind so many arm injuries.. That and pitching mechanics.. Those bulked up tendons, ligaments and muscles tend to tear more easily no matter how much stretching you do. The increased strength gives you increased velocity which puts increased stress on the arm and shoulder..
Likewise, the effort to get increased movement on the ball causes more stress in most cases.
Ms have made lots of trades with the reds…
I’m positive Dipoto will be all over trying to pry India away from them. He seems like the most Dipoto player I can’t think of who might actually be available. A couple years of club control left, signed cheap for next year, decentish defense, decentish bat, averagish projection, plays 2B, low strikeout, still in his prime years. I’d be fine but depends on the cost.
Hey Tim, where’s all the new subscribers you’re talking about?
Running this series prior to the FA signings makes no sense to me. This breakdown of team rosters should come out around Feb. 15-28 when you know where most of the FA’s have landed.
They do an offseason outlook before the offseason and an offseason in review in the spring.
By doing this pre=FA, it gives the reader a better opportunity to see what is needed, and what is not needed.
Saw they were talking about working MClain in some at CF which is kinda intriguing….
They need to keep McLain at second and let the other guys fight over first, third, outfield and the highly coveted Left Out.
Nick Krall has made a lot of bad signing….let’s leave it at that.
Tito knows.
Keeping Martinez would be helpful. With full health, that’s a very good rotation. Okay hitting, but need one more big bat. IMO, they should’ve still been .500, even with the injuries.
You’re putting the off-season outlooks under Front Office now? Boo!
I repeat my prediction from last year. The Reds will win the Central. I’m not as confident as I was last year because Milwaukee proved they also have a lot of young talent, but I still think the Reds are the most talented team in the division. Tito was a great hire. A few savvy moves this offseason and some better health/luck, this team could go far.
The brewers are on another level. They actually developed their young talent
Savvy moves? This front office is not capable of that, as we have seen.
Either Tito leads the reds like his 2022 Cleveland team or just more mediocrity for cincy
If Elly gets a top 5 mvp finish and the reds fix their outfield and pitching then they will be a playoff team but that’s a lot of boxes to check
I was enjoying this article until Santander was called a 2nd tier OF bat. Really?! The guy hit 44 tanks this season. His defense might not be stellar but 2nd tier bats don’t hit 44 bombs.
Santander reminds me of Ozuna when he was a free agent except Santander is a better defender. Which means he’s gonna get $100M+. NOT a 2nd tier bat.
I dunno, if I was making a FA OF tier list this year, I wouldn’t put Santander in the same tier as Juan Soto. 1 tier below Juan Soto could still be great.
Just bc he’s not a superstar doesn’t make him second tier
Do you guys not know what a tier is? Read the paragraph where he says that, he clearly means anyone but Soto. He isn’t saying Santander isn’t a very good player, that’s not what 2nd tier means here, just that he’s a level, or tier if you will, below Juan Soto.
The author clearly states anyone but Soto, implying Soto is in the 1st tier of FA’s, let’s call it S tier. If Santander isn’t on the same level but better equal/better than the rest, he would go 1 tier below that, let’s call it A tier, since 2nd tier seems to be confusing for some reason I can’t comprehend.
Hell, you could be a superstar and be a tier or grade below Juan freaking Soto, which was the point the Author was making. They can sign any OF not named Juan Soto.