Cincinnati Reds Bullish on Key Piece of Lineup After Up-And-Down 2025 Season

Terry Francona had a lot to say at the Winter Meetings about the Cincinnati Reds and how they will take a step forward in 2026. One of his first subjects focused on Spencer Steer.

Francona spoke with reporters in Orlando on Monday and really focused on how the Reds can improve, beginning with Steer. Francona noted that Steer should have begun last year on the IL with the shoulder injury he suffered in Spring Training.

Instead Steer struggled mightily with a .390 OPS through the first three weeks. In the 131 games that followed that timeframe, Steer slashed .253/.327/.435 with 20 homers.

“Hopefully we have that guy from the get go,” Francona told Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie's Chalkboard. The Reds are looking to get Steer back into the super utility role he occupied for the first couple of seasons of his career.

Steer is counted on to be a steadying force in the Reds lineup. Should he tap more into that 131 game stretch in 2026, the Reds lineup will be much better off.

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