National League Central Preview: Cincinnati Reds

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The Reds were the last team from the National League Central to make the playoffs in 2025, with an 83-79 record, and they lost to the eventual World Series champion Dodgers in the opening round. A team where pitching led the way, Cincinnati finished with a below-average team OPS and was 12th in team ERA compared to the rest of the league. One could then assume many of their additions this offseason were to assist their offense in scoring, and that would be correct.

Reds Offseason Moves

The biggest move the Reds made this offseason was reuniting with Eugenio Suarez. He signed a one-year deal with the Reds, and there is a mutual option for 2027. The 34-year-old spent time with the Mariners and Diamondbacks last year, hitting 49 home runs, which was tied for his career high. Suarez will slot into the DH spot for the Reds this year primarily and will provide power and veteran leadership, and that is about it.

The Reds made three other significant additions of position players. They signed former first-round pick JJ Bleday to a one-year deal and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to a minor league deal. They also acquired outfielder Dane Myers in a trade with the Marlins. Bleday, a left-handed center fielder, has had limited success in the majors, with one above-average season in 2024 with the Athletics. Bleday will look to recapture the magic of that season with the Reds this year. Lowe, on the other hand, has had more sustained major league success, having an above-average OPS every year of his seven-year career besides 2025. Lowe will look to bounce back from a down year with the Nationals and Red Sox to make the Opening Day roster. Finally, Myers was acquired in late December for minor league outfielder Ethan O’Donnell. The 30-year-old has only one season with over 100 games played, and that was last year; Myers hit .235/.291/.326 with 6 homeruns. His main calling cards are speed and defense. Myers stole 18 bases last season and had 78th-percentile sprint speed and, defensively, an above-average Outs Above Average (OAA) of +2 and 97th-percentile arm strength. Myers should be an adequate bench outfielder and starter versus lefties, as he hit .286/.359/.419 off them in 2025.

Additional additions were primarily relievers to bolster the bullpen. The Reds retained Emilio Pagan on a two-year deal, signed Pierce Johnson and Caleb Ferguson to one-year deals, and acquired Brock Burke via a three-team trade with the Angels and Rays. These relievers should provide value and depth for the Reds in 2026.

In terms of departures, utility player Gavin Lux was traded away in the three-team trade mentioned earlier. Austin Hays and Miguel Andujar signed with the White Sox and Padres, respectively, while pitchers Zach Littell, Brent Suter, Scott Barlow, and Nick Martinez found free agent deals elsewhere.

Projected Reds Lineup (MLB.com)

Projected Rotation (MLB.com)

The infield will remain consistent from last year, with a hopeful bounce back from second baseman Matt McLain. De La Cruz is one of the most electric talents in MLB when he is on, and hopefully, limited errors and strikeouts can bring out his full potential. Sal Stewart is a top prospect hoping to make his mark on the team, while Ke’Bryan Hayes is one of the best third basemen in baseball with his glove, but not with his bat. The catching tandem will be the same as last year, with Tyler Stephenson as the likely Opening Day starter with veteran Jose Trevino as the backup.

The outfield will remain primarily unchanged from a starting perspective. Spencer Steer will likely be the left fielder most of the time, with TJ Friedl in center, and Noelvi Marte in right. Bleday and Myers will be backups for those spots and could slot in given matchups, while Will Benson should provide depth for the corner outfield spots as well.

As for the rotation, there were no significant additions or losses this offseason besides Zach Littell and Nick Martinez, but the big news out of spring training is that ace Hunter Greene will be out until July due to arthroscopic right elbow surgery. Abbott, Lodolo, and Singer all threw 156+ innings this past season, and they will hopefully keep up that consistently good play in 2026. The last two spots will likely go to top prospect Rhett Lowder, currently No. 4 in the Reds system per MLB.com, and Burns, the second-overall pick in 2024. The Reds' rotation is the strong suit of the team, and that likely won’t change this year with some help from the younger guys.

The Reds have enough pitching talent to lead them to the postseason again, but hopefully, the addition of Eugenio Suarez and the development of younger bats will allow the offense to become potent. This could make Cincinnati a true threat in the National League in 2026.