The Cincinnati Reds had just good enough of a season to sneak into the playoffs as the third and final NL Wild Card team.
Their sojourn into the postseason was short-lived, though. The Los Angeles Dodgers made quick work in a two-game sweep of the best-of-three series.
And so the Reds go home, having played on for just a few extra days.
But there is some good news for the 2026 Reds.
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A quick look at the team’s contract situation reveals that the most notable pending free agents on the roster are Nick Martinez, Emilio Pagan and Wade Miley.
Martinez and Pagan were solid players this season, and could certainly be brought back, but they aren’t make-or-break members of the roster.
All the core players are signed through 2026 or beyond.
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That doesn’t mean the Reds can have a quiet offseason, but it gives them a good base. They don’t need replacements all over the diamond. They can likely focus on just one or two spots to find their biggest boosts.
Cincinnati has a solid pitching rotation and an exciting core of position player talent.
The Reds might need to find more consistency in 2026 out of their best players, especially Elly De La Cruz.
But the band will be back together, and that’s the first key to taking a step forward next season. How they round out the rest of the group will likely determine just how high they can climb.
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