The Reds went to bat at the beginning of their offseason and hit a home run. Terry Francona was hired as the new manager for the Cincinnati Reds on October 7th. Tito was not only the best candidate available, I think he’s the perfect hire for this budding roster. Cleveland had a record of 68-94 the year prior to hiring Francona; they would see a 24-win increase the next year. Terry Francona is beloved by a lot of people in the game, and players thrive under him. With all of this, there are a few major moves I would like to see this team make to really take a huge leap into 2025. This is part 1 of my offseason wishlist for the Cincinnati Reds. Parts 2 and 3 will consist of pitching, trade candidates, and other positions of need.
Power Bat/Out Fielder:
The lack of power is concerning for this team, especially in this ballpark. Christian Encarnacion-Strand was expected to provide decent power for the team and, unfortunately, would miss the majority of the season due to wrist surgery. Jeimer Candelario did not produce the way fans hoped he would; he showed flashes in June, but a knee injury and later a toe injury would end his season in August. Who could the Reds target to fulfill the power need? Juan Soto. I’m kidding, but seriously, Juan Soto. Juan Soto would be an absolute dream in GABP. The way he gets on base and hits for power is top-notch and will command top pay. He is projected to see a 14-year, $600 million deal; I don’t see Cincinnati in that market, unfortunately. Who’s a realistic option for the Reds?
Anthony Santander- Free Agency .235/44HR/102RBI
Pros: Significant power and a corner outfielder that the Reds desperately need. He slugged .506 and finished the year with a 134 OPS plus. He struck out 129 times in 2024, which was actually a decrease from 2023(152) and walked more in ’24 as opposed to ’23. Good Defense, only 2 errors in 2024.
Cons: Age. I’m knit picking here to be fair. Santander is going into his age 30 season and is a slower footed outfielder. He plays good defense to be fair to him, but with the estimate being a 7 year $150 mil deal I worry about getting stuck in another contract with an older player starting to head past their prime. Batting average/slumps.
Tyler O’Neill – Free Agency .241/31HR/61RBI
Pros: Raw power, 31 home runs in 2024 in Boston. Defense, 2 time Gold Glove winner.
Cons: Health. Tyler has played in 100 or more games just twice in 7 years. 2021 and 2024 have been O’Neill’s best seasons as well as his healthiest. 60 games in 2019, 96 in 2022, and 72 in 2023. Going into his age 30 season, I would look for a more incentive based contract and that seems to be his market.
Cody Bellinger – Free Agency .266/18HR/78RBI
Pros: .330 career hitter in Great American Ballpark and the most home runs at a stadium that was never his home ballpark with 9 in 25 games. .330/.371/.623/.993 and 140 OPS+ in GABP.
Cons: Contract. Bellinger is represented by Scott Boras and Boras clients seem to have a track record of holding out until closer to spring training to maximize their contract, he would also need to opt out of his current deal with the Cubs. It’s projected He will seek a 4 year $112 Mil deal. That’s a deal the Reds could make right now, but will they?
Some other candidates I could see as an option through Free Agency are Jorge Soler, Teoscar Hernández and for the fact that he’s been a Reds killer, Willy Adames at DH.
The Reds have flirted with Christian Encarnacion-Strand playing in the outfield in the Arizona Fall League so that could be another option internally to help fulfill needs. Will Benson needs to start the season in AAA, Jake Fraley needs to show consistency in 2025(I know there was a lot going on in his life in 2024). Stuart Fairchild could be a non tender candidate but I would love to have him back as a bench option.
Photo Credit; Self Signs
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