The 2026 World Series has come to an end, and on November 2 at 4 p.m. CST, the 2027 offseason chess match begins. The Cincinnati Reds front office hit two offseason home runs by declining the options on 3B/DH Eugenio Suarez and RHP Pierce Johnson. Those two moves alone saved $23 million after accounting for Johnson's $1 million buyout.
The great news didn't end there, as closer Emilio Pagan declined his $10 million player option for 2027. These three moves clear out aging players and free up $33 million in precious payroll space. This puts the 2027 payroll obligations at around $92 million, and that's not even counting some non-tenders that need to happen.
What's this all mean for the future of Cincinnati Reds baseball?
All signs point to the Reds being in a great position heading into the 2027 season, no matter where the collective bargaining negotiations end up. The Reds have three superstars to build around: Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, and Chase Burns. Add in a fourth elite player in Hunter Greene, who will be back from Tommy John surgery in 2028, and the Reds have a chance to build around these All-Stars and put a playoff-caliber team on the field for 2027 and beyond.
There are still some housekeeping measures to take care of. While the club has already stated that hitting coach Chris Valaika will be coming back for 2027, the Reds brass does need to bring in a new pitching coach, preferably someone with experience and a track record of helping pitchers develop and reach the next level. While the Yankees' Matt Blake was available for a few weeks, he recently re-signed.
The pitching coach I am going to recommend is Rick Knapp. He's currently the Rays' assistant pitching coach, and his track record is almost impeccable. He is the pitching whisperer who turned Justin Verlander from a thrower with an 11-17 record, a 4.84 ERA, 201 innings pitched, and 163 strikeouts in 2008 into a Cy Young-caliber pitcher in 2009: a 19-9 record, a 3.45 ERA, 240 innings pitched, and 269 strikeouts. Verlander followed that up with another dominant season in 2010, then leveled up again in 2011, winning the AL Cy Young Award, AL MVP Award, and pitching Triple Crown with a 24-5 record, a 2.40 ERA, 251 innings pitched, and 250 strikeouts!
Seems to me there are a couple, if not several, throwers on the Reds roster who could level up to pitchers and really develop their craft under a guru like Knapp. Not only is his Detroit track record undeniable, but the Rays' development of pitchers, new, young, and old, is a testament to Knapp's throwing and rehab programs.
Back to the roster, the team is so top-heavy on talent that the drop-off is quite noticeable after about the first 12 players on the 26-man roster. This offseason presents Reds ownership with a unique opportunity to build around these mega building blocks and set this franchise on the Rays/Brewers path to sustained success.
Some of the top free agents that fit the Reds' current roster: RHP Nick Pivetta, LHP Jeffrey Springs, LHP Adrian Morejon, RHP Bryan Abreu, RHP Johnathan Loaisiga, 3B Alec Bohm, and C Austin Hedges. A reunion with right-handed starter Brady Singer isn't out of the question either, considering his 3 straight years of 31 or more starts per season.
Finding trade partners to fill out the roster is also paramount to keeping the Reds going in the right direction. On the trade front, I would look at A's relievers LHP Hogan Harris and RHP Luis Medina, plus CF Denzel Clarke. Others to spotlight trades on are Twins OF Trevor Larnach, and Nationals OF's Dylan Crews and CF Jacob Young.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/reds/onsi as Christmas Came Early for the Reds, but Their Biggest Moves Are Still Ahead .
