Matt McLain just made Reds’ offseason decision even more difficult

The Cincinnati Reds find themselves in a curious position as they approach the 2026 season. This is a franchise that has leaned heavily on its youth movement to carry them back into contention. The expectation was that players like Matt McLain would bounce back and play a role in that rise.

Instead, McLain’s uneven 2025 campaign has left more questions than answers, forcing the front office to take a hard look at how he fits into their long-term plans. 

McLain’s story is layered. Injuries derailed his 2023 season, and after missing all of 2024, the rust carried over into 2025. While he deserves credit for grinding his way back onto the field, the production has been far from what Cincinnati hoped for.

Matt McLain’s struggles put Reds in tricky spot for next season

McLain’s .222/.302/.349 slash line with 15 home runs and 49 RBI doesn’t jump off the page, nor does it scream “everyday lock” for 2026. His WAR sits at 0.1, which is essentially replacement level. In a division where the margin between contention and irrelevance is razor-thin, the Reds cannot afford to hand at-bats to a player still searching for consistency at the plate. And yet, moving on from him isn’t simple either.

He also turned down a contract extension last offseason, choosing to bet on himself to rebound and cash in later. That gamble has yet to pay off. If the Reds decide to revisit extension talks, the deal on the table won’t be nearly as player-friendly as what was offered before, making negotiations a potential flashpoint.

Defensively, McLain has lived up to the billing. He’s been steady in the field, showing the instincts and range that made him such an intriguing prospect in the first place. The problem is that Cincinnati doesn’t have the luxury of carrying a glove-only player at a position as pivotal as second base.

They don’t have an immediate veteran alternative, and turning the keys over to another prospect comes with its own risks. Blocking promising infielders like Edwin Arroyo or Sal Stewart for the sake of giving McLain more runway could slow down the pipeline, but cutting bait too early risks losing a player who might still blossom into the kind of hitter the Reds thought they had.

That’s the dilemma. He has four years of team control, arbitration about to kick in, a rising price tag, and a roster crunch all converging at once. The Reds’ rebuild has been fueled by difficult but calculated decisions, and McLain now represents another test of their resolve. Do they ride out his growing pains and hope the underlying numbers finally show up in the box score? Or do they pivot, leaning on their stacked farm system to provide a younger, cheaper solution?

In many ways, McLain has made the Reds’ offseason more difficult than they might have expected. He’s shown just enough to stay relevant, just enough to warrant patience, and just enough to spark debate in the front office. But he’s also shown the limitations of his bat, the risks of banking on rebound potential, and the looming financial reality that arbitration years bring. 

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