Photo: Doug Gray
We’ve been working our way through the Cincinnati Reds impending free agents over the last week plus, discussing whether or not it makes sense for the team to bring any of them back and if so, how they would help the team. This morning over at MLB Trade Rumors, Charlie Wright wrote a bit about the Reds as he tried to make the case for them to sign a big bat.
He notes that the estimated payroll for Cincinnati as things stand right now heading into 2026 is just $94,000,000. I did not double check the math on this and am trusting that he’s correct-enough based on projected arbitration numbers and the like. He also notes that the payroll this past year was around $120,000,000 and they’ve been a tad higher in the past. We also know that in 2025 the Reds tv ratings were up and more fans also came to the ballpark.
Usually that means more money to spend the following year, but the Reds also do not have a television contract for 2026. Last year the team announced in early November that they were going to be going with MLB.tv as their broadcast partner in 2025, but in January that plan changed and they signed a deal for the season with FanDuel Sports Network. When the two released a joint press statement following the season there was no mention of what 2026 held for their partnership, or even that they only had a deal for one season. The lack of a television deal could leave them uncertain about what their exact budget limit is when free agency does begin at some point next week.
MLB Trade Rumors has up a list of all of the players who could become free agents listed out here (they include players with options). Looking at the list there are some guys who seem to be more enticing than others. We’ve all had the thoughts of somehow making Kyle Schwarber appear on the roster, or luring Pete Alonso to Cincinnati where he can crush home runs. And maybe those are still the guys you believe they should go after with everything they can. But is anyone else on the list looking like they could be exactly what the team needs in your mind? How would you go about spending the estimated free agency money this offseason?
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