The Reds swung a few notable trades to bring some new talent onto the roster, as manager Terry Francona will try to lead the team back into contention.
Major League Signings
- Nick Martinez, SP: One year, $21.05MM (accepted qualifying offer)
- Austin Hays, OF: One year, $5MM (includes $1MM buyout of $12MM mutual option for 2026)
- Scott Barlow, RP: One year, $2.5MM (includes $1MM buyout of $6.5MM club option for 2026)
2025 spending: $28.55MM
Total spending: $28.55MM
Option Decisions
- Nick Martinez, SP: Declined $12M player option for 2025 (prior to being issued qualifying offer)
- Emilio Pagan, RP: Exercised $8MM player option for 2025
- Jakob Junis, RHP: Declined his end of $8MM mutual option for 2025, received $3MM buyout
- Luke Maile, C: Reds declined $3.5MM club option for 2025 (Maile received $500K buyout)
Trades & Claims
- Acquired SP Brady Singer from Royals for 2B Jonathan India, OF Joey Wiemer
- Acquired IF Gavin Lux from Dodgers for minor league OF Mike Sirota, and Competitive Balance Round A selection in 2025 draft (41st overall)
- Acquired RP Taylor Rogers and $6MM from Giants for minor league RHP Braxton Roxby
- Acquired C Jose Trevino from Yankees for RP Fernando Cruz and C Alex Jackson
- Acquired cash considerations from Mariners for RP Casey Legumina
- Acquired minor league OF Arnaldo Lantigua from Dodgers for $1.5MM in international bonus pool space
- Claimed IF/CF Cooper Bowman in Rule 5 Draft, but later returned Bowman to Athletics
Notable Minor League Signings
- Wade Miley, Austin Wynns, Bryan Shaw, Alex Young, Josh Staumont, Albert Abreu, Ian Gibaut, Reiver Sanmartin, Joe La Sorsa, Levi Jordan, Aaron Wilkerson
Extensions
- Jose Trevino, C: Two years, $11.5MM ($6.5MM club option for 2028 with $1MM buyout)
- Brent Suter, RP: One year, $2.25MM ($3MM club option for 2026 with $250K buyout)
Notable Losses
- India, Junis, Cruz, Legumina, Maile, Jackson, Wiemer, Justin Wilson, Buck Farmer, Ty France, Roansy Contreras, Amed Rosario, Nick Martini, Casey Kelly, Brandon Leibrandt
Starting with some bigger-picture news from the Reds' winter, the club gained some slight stability on the broadcasting front when it signed a one-year contract with the FanDuel Sports Network, a.k.a. the rebranded Bally Sports Network. The Reds' broadcasts were previously handed by Bally and parent company Diamond Sports Group, but Cincinnati was one of many teams whose TV future was thrown into question when DSG went into bankruptcy proceedings in March 2023. DSG and Bally re-emerged under the Main Street Sports and FanDuel Sports Network banners, and several MLB teams chose to re-engage with their old partners under short-term agreements.
The Reds had reached a deal with Major League Baseball itself to handle broadcasts for the 2025 season, but in choosing to re-up with Main Street Sports, the Reds may be giving themselves some flexibility for future deals if all goes well this year. It is also fair to assume that the Reds are getting at least a bit more money off this new deal than they were getting from MLB, even if terms of the new contract (or the terms of the MLB broadcast deal) weren't made public.
Here's the bottom line as it relates to the club's on-field endeavors --- the Reds had a bit more cash to invest in payroll, as president of baseball operations Nick Krall said in January. Given the timing, it could be that the Reds might not have been able to trade for Taylor Rogers or sign Austin Hays without those extra funds coming into the team's revenue stream.
Team COO/CFO Doug Healy said in November that the Reds' payroll would either remain stable or go up in the aftermath of the broadcast deal with MLB, and that proved to be the case even with the change in broadcast partners. The Reds finished last season with an approximate payroll of $100MM (as per RosterResource) and the club now has roughly $115.3MM committed to its 2025 roster as we approach Opening Day.
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“Stability” by signing with Fan Duel Sports network. Laughable
Each year I like to drink the red kool-aid but realistically more times than not since Dusty, I know that a World Series championship isn’t likely…. With that said I like all Reds fans have been waiting for these high end draft picks and prospects to arrive majority are here and if health/player development is on tap this team has a legit opportunity to make a playoff run and yes hiring a proven successful manager should prove very beneficial…
Reds have the pitching and the pitching depth to compete in the Central Division. Their hitting is suspect as well as their corner defense. This is an improved roster from last year, but still a work in progress.
Core Needs Assessment and Grading
Starting Pitching Depth (Grade: B+)
Need: The 2024 rotation featured Hunter Greene (3.8 WAR, 2.75 ERA, 3.47 FIP), Nick Lodolo (2.2 WAR, 3.93 ERA), and Andrew Abbott (1.2 WAR, 3.72 ERA), but injuries and inconsistency beyond these three limited the unit to a collective 11.2 WAR (17th in MLB). Depth was critical to withstand inevitable injuries.
Action: Adding Brady Singer (3.1 WAR, 3.51 ERA, 4.09 FIP in 2024) bolsters the rotation. Singer’s groundball rate (47.8%) suits Great American Ball Park’s hitter-friendly confines better than flyball pitchers, though his 4.09 FIP suggests some regression from his ERA. Retaining Nick Martinez (3.5 WAR, 3.10 ERA, 3.88 FIP) via the qualifying offer adds versatility—he can start or relieve.
Analysis: ZiPS projects Greene at 2.8 WAR, Martinez at 2.5 WAR, and Singer at 2.2 WAR for 2025, reflecting slight regression but still a solid top four with Lodolo and Abbott. Depth improves, but the Reds didn’t add a true ace or a fifth starter beyond Graham Ashcraft (0.7 WAR in 2024). Grade reflects significant improvement without fully resolving injury risk.
Outfield Production (Grade: B)
Need: The 2024 outfield ranked 25th in MLB with 2.1 WAR, driven by poor offensive output (wRC+ of 87) and inconsistent defense. TJ Friedl (1.5 WAR) was solid, but Jake Fraley (0.6 WAR) and Will Benson (-0.4 WAR) underperformed.
Action: Austin Hays (1.1 WAR in 2024, 97 wRC+) was signed. Hays posted a .255/.316/.395 line with average defense in right field. His 2023 season (2.8 WAR, 114 wRC+) suggests upside if he rebounds.
Analysis: Hays upgrades right field over Benson, but his 2024 wRC+ (97) is league-average, and his injury history (63 games in 2024) is a concern. Friedl and Fraley remain, with Stuart Fairchild as depth. ZiPS projects Hays at 1.5 WAR, improving the unit to ~5 WAR total if healthy. The grade reflects a moderate upgrade without a high-impact bat.
Infield Stability (Grade: C+)
Need: Injuries to Matt McLain (missed 2024) and inconsistent play from Jonathan India (1.7 WAR, 102 wRC+) left the infield reliant on Elly De La Cruz (4.5 WAR, 104 wRC+, 26 SB). First base (28th in MLB WAR) and second base needed clarity.
Action: Traded India for Gavin Lux (2.1 WAR, 104 wRC+ post-All-Star 2024). Lux projects as the second baseman, with McLain (ZiPS: 2.5 WAR) returning at shortstop or utility. De La Cruz stays at short, and Jeimer Candelario (0.8 WAR) holds third. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (CES, -0.1 WAR in 2024) or Spencer Steer (1.8 WAR) compete at first.
Analysis: Lux’s .304/.372/.447 post-break surge suggests potential, but his career wRC+ (92) tempers expectations (ZiPS: 1.8 WAR). McLain’s return is a wild card—his 2023 (2.8 WAR in 89 games) indicates upside. First base remains a weak spot (projected ~1 WAR). The grade reflects a net gain but unresolved questions.
Bullpen Reliability (Grade: C)
Need: The 2024 bullpen posted a 4.13 ERA (15th in MLB) and 4.5 WAR (14th), with Alexis Diaz (1.2 WAR, 3.30 ERA) as the closer. Injuries and inconsistency beyond Diaz and Tony Santillan (0.9 WAR) were issues.
Action: Lost Fernando Cruz (0.3 WAR) but retained core relievers like Diaz, Santillan, Emilio Pagan (0.5 WAR), and Lucas Sims (0.2 WAR). Taylor Rogers (0.8 WAR in 2024) was acquired from the Giants late in spring (assumed based on some sources).
Analysis: Rogers’ 2.42 ERA in 2024 adds a high-leverage lefty, but his 3.62 FIP suggests luck. The unit projects to ~5 WAR, similar to 2024, with no major additions beyond Rogers. Grade reflects stability but no significant improvement.
A projected 84-78 record could be expected.
Scott Barlow was added to the pen, as well
They didn’t retain Sims. But they also added Graham Ashcraft. And a healthy Ian Gibut has made the relief corp. But it’s the talented depth at Louisville; Maxwell, Mey, Richardson, Torres, Zuluetta, etc. that is the big change ; as teams need a lot of relievers to get through a ML season. Also not “fully resolving injury risk” at SP fails to consider Miley, Petty, and perhaps Chase Burns. BTW, what teams does the author consider have “fully resolved injury risk” in a MLB rotation. There just ain’t no such a thing!