Cincinnati Reds Front Office Poised For Biggest Offseason In Team History
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The Cincinnati Reds have never been considered major players when it comes to signing free agents during the Major League baseball offseason. In fact, when they committed $165 million to sign five free agents prior to the 2020 season, the largest foray into free agent spending in team history, it turned a lot of heads.
That could all change this offseason as the Reds front office heads into the winter meetings with a set budget and an owner that is finally ready to spend on free agent acquisitions to position his team for a playoff run.
Reds Chief Executive Officer Bob Castellini said that it is his expectation that Cincinnati will spend this offseason according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
When Castellini’s comment is taken in conjunction with those of Reds President of Baseball operations Nick Krall, who told local reporters during a recent zoom call that the teams budget was already set and that he had room to add, the Reds seem poised to make moves to address their needs heading into baseball’s winter meetings.
While Krall declined to share the teams budget number, the Reds currently have just $38 million committed to player spending in 2024. This is well below the current league average payroll of $117 million dollars.
The Reds can feasibly commit $50-60 million dollars this offseason on player spending while remaining below league average in payroll. With that amount of money on the table the Reds can be in on talks with just about any free agent not named Shohei Ohtani.
The Reds have significant needs in their starting rotation, lack a right-handed power bat for the outfield, and desperately need to shore up one of the most overworked bullpens in all of baseball in 2023.
According to Spotrac.com free agent starting pitcher and reigning National League Cy Young award winner Blake Snell is estimated to earn about $24 million per year in his next deal. Right-handed power bat Teoscar Hernandez is set to pull in around $17 million per year. Relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel is slated to earn about $9 million for his services.
The Reds could make all three moves and still have $10 million dollars remaining to spend on the bullpen before reaching $100 million in payroll.
It is clear that Krall is poised to deliver the most meaningful offseason in Reds history, as long as Cincinnati’s ownership has opened the checkbook just enough to make the Reds legitimate playoff contenders in 2024.
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