Even with the second-easiest home run park, the Cincinnati Reds finished only 21st in the majors in homers. Their lack of consistent power and production led to the team’s offensive struggles and a weak wRC+ ranking in 2025. And the power outage of their star shortstop was one of the reasons for the crisis.

The Dominican phenom had been playing through a partially torn quad all year. Elly De La Cruz had 12 errors before the injury, which increased to 14 after he tried to play through it. So, heading into next season, the Reds can’t stick with De La Cruz as their only option.

They’re expected to enter the market as buyers for the shortstop position. So, David Schoenfield of ESPN recently urged the Reds to “roll out the red carpet for Kyle Schwarber.”

Since 2013, the Reds have made it to the playoffs for the first time in 2025. Even though they slipped in with just 83 wins, it was great to see them in the mix.

However, as many are aware and as also pointed out by Schoenfield, the Reds still haven’t won a playoff game since 2012.

Their designated hitters, a rotation of 11 players, ranked 22nd in OPS. Even their longtime top power threat, Elly De La Cruz, managed only one home run over a 74-game stretch in the middle of the summer.

And in financial terms, the Reds are sitting about $21 million below their 2025 payroll.

Despite these lapses, Schoenfield insists that Schwarber would be an ideal fit for the Cincinnati Reds. Then again, a guy who just crushed 56 home runs and finished second in NL MVP voting is pretty much an ideal fit for any club. Especially for the Phillies, given that he’s spent the last four seasons with them.

But the Reds’ advantage for Schwarber is his projected deal: four years, $128 million. It is more realistic than what it would take to land Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker.

Schwarber will instantly add a power bat to the middle of the Reds’ lineup. With Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte, Matt McLain, and Sal Stewart, Kyle Schwarber can surely help build a potential competitor.

And the fact that Schwarber hails from Ohio doesn’t hurt. Although hometown ties are usually overrated, the Reds can still use that angle, paired with their impressive young rotation, to make a strong pitch.

The Reds almost check all the boxes to sign Kyle Schwarber. But offense alone won’t help Cincinnati in next season’s playoff push. So, bolseting other spots in the rotation is equally important.

The Cincinnati Reds announced they have re-signed pitcher Carson Spiers

After designating him for assignment last week, the Cincinnati Reds announced on Monday that they’ve re-signed pitcher Carson Spiers to a minor league deal.

“The #Reds today signed RHP Carson Spiers to a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to Major League camp,” the Reds’ official X account posted.

This deal also includes a non-roster invite to Major League camp.

The 28-year-old right-hander had undergone Tommy John surgery in late July. In fact, he appeared in only three games for the Reds last season. Speaking statistically, Spiers allowed only nine runs on 13 hits over 13 1/3 innings.

Over three seasons, Spiers has put up a 5.69 ERA across 29 games with the Reds. But the primary upside is that he worked both out of the bullpen and occasionally as a back-end starter, too.

Carson Spiers originally joined the organization as an undrafted free agent out of Clemson in 2020, when the MLB draft was cut from 40 rounds to just five because of COVID.

Spiers is the kind of steady arm that the system needs right now. It will ultimately give the Reds some extra pitching depth. He probably won’t be ready for spring training. But he’s expected to begin a rehab assignment at some point during the 2026 season.