Big Free Agent Decisions Loom for Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are officially in offseason mode and they have some important decisions to make when it comes to their own roster.

Let's take a look at them.

Nick Martinez - Unrestricted Free Agent

After the Reds offered Nick Martinez a qualifing offer last season and he accepted, he will be a free agent this offseason.

Martinez is a nice pitcher to have because he can start or come out of the bullpen, and having that flexibility is nice. He had a 4.45 ERA over a career-high 165 2/3 innings this season. It feels like a reunion would be unlikely with the Reds' starting pitching depth already being deep, and he might want too much money to sign him as a reliever.

Wade Miley - Unrestricted Free Agent

This one is almost a guarantee. The Reds will move on from Wade Miley and it wouldn't be surprising to see him retire.

Miley appeared in three games for the Reds in 2025 before missing the rest of the season due to injury.

Emilio Pagan - Unrestricted Free Agent

Emilio Pagan signed a two-year deal with the Reds after the 2023 season and that contract ends this year. Pagan has been vocal about how much he likes this team and this organization. While it wouldn't be crazy to see a new deal between the two parties, it feels like Pagan will be a pricey addition after converting a career-high 32 saves this season. The right-hander will turn 35 in May of next season.

Zack Littell - Unrestricted Free Agent

The Reds traded for Littell to add to their pitching depth at this season's trade deadline. The right-hander has his moments for the Reds, making 10 starts with an ERA of 4.39. The starting pitching market is expensive and I'd expect to see Littell pitching for another team in 2026.

Miguel Andujar - Unrestricted Free Agent

Andujar is another player the Reds acquired at the trade deadline due to his ability to hit left-handed pitching. The 30-year-old did nothing but hit while he was with Cincinnati. In 34 games, Andujar slashed .359/.400/.544 with 11 extra-base hits with Cincinnati. I wouldn't be surprised to see both sides interested in a new deal here. The one negative about Andujar is that he isn't very good defensively, and he was almost exclusively a DH for the Reds.

Austin Hays - $12 Million Mutual Option

Hays had a decent year for the Reds, but I don't see any situation in which the Reds pick up his $12 mutual option.

The 30-year-old got off to a terrific start before dealing with multiple injuries. He slashed .266/.315/.453 with 36 extra-base hits over 103 games.

Despite the solid year, $12 million for Hays just doesn't seem like it would make sense from Cincinnati's perspective.

Brent Suter - $3 Million Mutual Option

I could see this one going either way. Suter is an interesting pitcher to have on your team. He rarely is going to pitch in a high-leverage situation, but he's a great clubhouse guy and he'll give you multiple innings at a time, which is huge for saving your bullpen throughout the season. I have no doubt Suter would accept his end of the deal. It just depends if the Reds feel he is worth $3 million.

Scott Barlow - $6.5 Club Option

Barlow had a really nice season for the Reds and took the ball whenever called upon. He appeared in 75 games for Cincinnati with a 4.21 ERA. Barlow got out of some big jams, but he wasn't consistently used in high-leverage situations. It feels unlikely the Reds will decide to pick up his option at that price.

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