Terry Francona Chimes in on Reds' Need for More Hitting

The Cincinnati Reds have had a busy offseason, but they've yet to acquire a middle-of-the-order type of bat that you could plug into the lineup every day.

On Thursday, WCPO's Caleb Noe spoke with Reds manager Terry Francona about that missing piece.

"I don't spend a whole lot of time worrying about what we don't have," Francona said. "My job is to take who we have, and see how good we can play."

The Reds play at one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in Major League Baseball, but in they ranked 21st in home runs and 19th in OPS in 2025.

On Thursday, the Reds traded Gavin Lux to the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team deal that saw Cincinnati acquire left-handed reliever Brock Burke.

While Lux was not known as a power hitter, he still ranked fourth on the team in OPS among players with 400 or more plate appearances.

The Reds were able to free up some money in the deal and the move should enable them to play Sal Stewart every day.

However, they should absolutely still go out and try to find a true impact bat before Spring Training starts.

You can see the full clip below:

"I don't spend a whole lot of time worrying about what we don't have. My job is to take who we have, and see how good we can play."

The #Reds have not signed a big-name, high-dollar bat this offseason.

I asked manager Terry Francona about it:#Reds @WCPO pic.twitter.com/FpL754ZErl
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) January 16, 2026