The bus is loaded and on its way!

Goodyear, Arizona is ahead.

That means baseball is almost back! So, let’s go ahead and give a bit of a look ahead and recap of an active offseason for Cincinnati.

Biggest Signing

The Eugenio Suarez reunion has happened!

I was openly against a reunion with Suarez at the 2025 trade deadline. His defense was down and he struck out. A lot. Instead, the Reds added a perennial Gold Glove in Ke’Bryan Hayes at third. Hayes doesn’t have the bat that Suarez has, true enough. But, his defense is powerful. There’s a reason the award is called Gold Glove and not Best All Around Player.

Now, we get the power bat and the gold glove. And didn’t have to give up much for it.

Suarez is a known commodity in Cincinnati. He hits bombs, 189 of them in 7 seasons in the Queen City, including 49 back in 2019. He drives in runs. In four different seasons, he has 100+ RBI, something no Red has done since 2019. Oh, and in 2019, it was Suarez who did it.

But, there’s a reason we got him for $15 million. He strikes out and doesn’t walk. Over his career, he owns a 27.4% K-rate against a 9.5% walk-rate. And, as mentioned above, his defense has dropped off after a terrific 2023 campaign. In 2023, he recorded 11 Outs Above Average (OAA). In 2024, 3 OAA. 2025? -6 OAA. And his corresponding Defensive Run Value has followed: 8 in 2023, 3 in 2024, and -3 in 2025.

He likely hasn’t regressed to the point of not being available for spot starts, and we might even see him at first for a few innings, but the organization brought him in for his bat. And that bat provides more than just his pop. The threat of his pop protects Elly and his actual pop can take the pressure off the rest of the lineup to be that guy. That should help McLain, Steer, Marte, and Stephenson all have better years at the dish. Only time will tell, though.

Outfield Additions

Two other notable additions were made to the bench: Dane Myers and JJ Bleday. They will provide a real competition and, importantly, flexibility in the outfield.

Myers is a centerfielder capable of spelling Friedl. His range and arm are both marked as better via Baseball Savant with his arm strength being notably higher. His bat leaves much to be desired, especially when compared to the consistently of Friedl, but it’s not so bad and it compliments TJ in a big way. As a right handed option, Myers crushes lefties to the tune of .297/.360/.456 with an OPS of .816. Now, TJ doesn’t have to be the everyday centerfielder.

Meanwhile, JJ Bleday is a disciplined left-handed bat with a solid arm. However, I’d be surprised to see him roaming center very much, so he will likely be a filler corner. His range is worse than all other outfielders on the roster. And his bat, while not whiffing very much, is in need of work. He owns a .215/.307/.394 career slash line. But, he did slash .243/.324/.437 back in 2024. That’s respectable enough to hope that a hitter friendly, lefty specialized new home at GABP might just bring back something.

All in all, the bench will look like some combination of Myers, Trevino, Bleday/Benson, Sal Stewart/Spencer Steer. If Tito actually decides to utilize Benson, this could be a very solid bench.

Who to watch in Spring Training

A favorite of mine, Tejay Antone, will be back. He is coming off his third Tommy John surgery and a rough 2025. However, his arm seems to be back and he has worked consistently for a chance at returning to AAA if not make the club out of spring training.

Cam Collier, infield utility, comes off an impressive run in 2025. He is still up and coming at only 21 years old, but figures to be important in 2027 (if there’s baseball).

Bullpen changes will likely be the second key to a successful campaign behind a reworked and revitalized offense. Caleb Ferguson, southpaw, has bounced across the league since a successful 2022 campaign, but landed with the Reds in December 2025. Between Seattle and Pittsburgh, he delivered a 0.9 WAR, 3.58 ERA, and 1.16 WHIP last year. Bringing back Emilio Pagan solidifies the closer role, which could have also gone to Tony Santillian.

Every day roster 2026

• C- Tyler Stephenson Jose Trevino
• 1B- Sal Stewart Spencer Steer and Eugenio Suarez
• 2B- Matt McLain Spencer Steer
• 3B- Ke’Bryan Hayes Eugenio Suarez
• SS- Elly De La Cruz Matt McLain
• RF- Noelvi Marte Will Benson and TJ Friedl
• CF- TJ Friedl Dane Myers
• LF- Spencer Steer Will Benson and JJ Bleday
• DH- Eugenio Suarez Spencer Steer, Sal Stewart, and EDLC
• SP1- Hunter Greene
• SP2- Andrew Abbott
• SP3- Nick Lodolo
• SP4- Brady Singer
• SP5- Chase Burns Rhett Lowder
• RP- Graham Ashcraft
• RP- Luis Mey
• RP- Connor Phillips
• RP- Caleb Ferguson
• RP- Tony Santillan
• Closer- Emilio Pagan Tony Santillan

2026 Expectations

A World Series!

Eh, maybe not quite that high. But this team has the potential to compete in a three-team race for the NL Central crown. With the Cardinals firmly in rebuild mode and Pittsburgh being Pittsburgh, there’s a good chance the division is a bit up for grabs. With the best rotation of the division and an improved offense, there’s hope for a new banner.

The real question is whether these guys can not only reach the playoffs, but win a series for the first time since 1995?

They have the pitching staff to do it. They have the manager to do it. And they have a superstar to do it. Now, they just have to put it all together and do it.

I predict an 80 win floor and a 90 win ceiling with the Reds capturing the NL Central a game ahead of 162.