Three Players Reds Should Target After Missing Out on Kyle Schwarber

Cincinnati – I think I can speak for most fans. This offseason has been a disappointment up to this point.

Missing out on signing Kyle Schwarber stinks. The Reds reportedly matched the Phillies’ five-year, $150 million offer. They needed to be creative to make that work with deferrals and how they end-loaded the deal. Regardless, it seems they were willing to spend the money on him, but apparently not for another player of that caliber. Pete Alonso signed with the Baltimore Orioles for a similar deal, five years, $155 million. If the Castellinis, Nick Krall, and Brad Meador aren't going to spend, what is their plan?

The obvious issue is a power presence in the lineup, but Nick Krall's approach is line drive hitters that put together good at-bats. Who could fill that role? I look at someone like Luis Arraez, if I'm going that route. He could sign for around $10 million, around the Reds’ budget without any trades to clear up more room. Arraez is an excellent contact hitter; he slashed .292/.327/.392 with 42 extra-base hits and he is a difficult out via the strikeout, striking out just 215 times in his career to this point. It looks like the most likely outcome will be the club retaining Gavin Lux, but I would kick the tires on the 28-year-old. The only true downside to this signing would be his lack of defensive ability, which the Reds have shown a priority towards.

The other big need is left-handed pitching depth in the bullpen. The only left-handed reliever on the roster is Sam Moll. Caleb Ferguson is who I would target. Ferguson is another local kid, born in Columbus, Ohio, and has been a quality reliever for the majority of his career. Splitting time between Pittsburgh and Seattle, the 28-year-old finished with a 5-4 record, 3.58 ERA, 2.32 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and a 1.16 WHIP in a career-high 70 games. In his career, he has posted a 3.66 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP over seven seasons. His contract projection is around two years, $15 million. I also would not rule out a potential Brent Suter reunion. Other candidates that fill that role are Andrew Chafin, Tim Mayza, and Génesis Cabrera.

The 35-year-old Chafin was 1-1 with a 2.44 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 33 2/3 innings with the Nationals and Angels. Tim Mayza pitched in only 15 games in 2025 after dealing with a shoulder injury, but he finished the season healthy, pitching for the Phillies. Genesis Cabrera has an electric fastball that reaches the upper-90s with a sharp breaking ball, cutter, and changeup. His command has been spotty throughout his career, but if he can control his pitches, he can be a dominant reliever.

In my opinion, the Reds cannot afford to have a copy-and-paste roster for 2025. Yes, they made the playoffs last season, but they relied on a slumping Mets team to lose the final game of the season to sneak in. Terry Francona is under contract for two more seasons, Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene are under team control through 2029, and there is potential for a work stoppage in 2027 with the current CBA set to expire in December 2026.

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