Cincinnati Reds: 4 free agents worth overpaying this offseason

If the Reds are going to spend big this winter, these four players should be atop the list.

As a smaller market team, it’s always hard to envision the Cincinnati Reds overpaying for the services of a free agent. However, last offseason, we saw the Reds front office swing big with longterm deals divvied out to Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos, and Shogo Akiyama. Could Cincinnati spend big once again this offseason?

The pandemic-shortened season has taken a toll on the owners’ pocketbooks. We’ve seen several players have their club-options declined and fans should look for several arbitration eligible players to be cut loose in the coming weeks as teams look to cut payroll as much as possible. The uncertainty of the 2021 season will have owners unlikely to spend big this winter.

However, a few players may be worth the high-dollar salary they’re sure to command on the open market. Players may not make as much as they would have during a normal 162-game season, but some top shelf free agents are sure to secure longterm contracts worth market value. Some players may even land a contract above market value.

While not an exact science, MLB Trade Rumors has provided us with what the Top 50 free agents can expect to sign for this offseason. We’ll use this as a template to see which four free agent players the Cincinnati Reds should overpay in order to secure their services for the 2021 season. Cincinnati has several holes, so there’s certain to be a few free agents worth signing.