3 Reds who should be offered extensions during the offseason and 1 who still has something to prove

The Atlanta Braves are showing teams that they mean business. The defending World Champions have signed several of their young stars to contract extensions since the 2022 season began.

Alex Anthopoulos has done it again. After inking Michael Harris and Austin Riley to contract extensions earlier this season, the Braves President of Baseball Operations just signed Spencer Strider to a six-year extension.

The Cincinnati Reds have zero money committed beyond next season and would be wise to start locking up some of their younger stars. While there's three players who should already be in consideration for a contract extension, there's still one who has something more to prove.

The Reds should sign Tyler Stephenson to a contract extension.

The most important player the Cincinnati Reds should re-sign is starting catcher Tyler Stephenson. And to be quite honest, there's not a close-second. While Stephenson suffered a rash of injuries that limited him to just 50 games in 2022, the Reds backstop may be the single most important player to the Cincinnati ball club moving forward.

Whether you believe that Stephenson's future is behind the plate or at first base, everyone throughout Reds Country can certainly agree that the 26-year-old's bat is his carrying tool. While Stephenson handles himself quite well behind the dish, he has shown versatility to handle first base as well.

The Reds could, in affect, set the market for young catchers. One would assume that both Los Angeles Dodgers' catcher Will Smith and Baltimore Orioles' backstop Adley Raustchman will be signed to contract extensions in the near future as well.

Securing Tyler Stephenson's services over the long haul is crucial to the Cincinnati Reds success in the future. If Nick Krall and Reds front office do nothing except ink Stephenson to a six or seven-year deal, the offseason will have been a victory.

The Reds should sign Nick Lodolo to a contract extension.

There's always risk when you talk about signing pitchers to long-term contracts. Tommy John surgeries are all too common nowadays, and small market teams like the Cincinnati Reds can really handcuff themselves with multiple millions of dollars tied up in an injured pitcher.

But good teams need good pitchers, and if the Reds hope to compete heading into the future, it's going to be the starting pitching that takes the team to the promised land. Nick Lodolo was the best of the young Cincinnati starters in 2022, and while it may be a bit premature, the Atlanta Braves have laid the groundwork for a what contract extension for Lodolo would look like.

The Braves inked rookie pitcher Spencer Strider to a six-year/$75M contract that could be worth up to $92M. That's the going-rate for a good young pitcher with upside. According to MLB.com, Strider will make $1 million each of the next two seasons and $4 million in 2025. His salary will jump to $20 million in '26 and then rise to $22 million for both of the next two seasons.

When was the last time you can remember the Cincinnati Reds having a good, young left-hander starter with All-Star level stuff? That's exactly what Lodolo has. The southpaw is unafraid and his calm demeanor is felt in the dugout and on the mound.

You can make the argument that Hunter Greene has better stuff than Nick Lodolo, and perhaps that the flamethrower has better upside. But while the reward that Greene offers could be great, the risk-averse Cincinnati front office might be more apt to offer a contract extension to Lodolo.

The Reds should not sign Jonathan India to a contract extension just yet.

This is a tough conversation, but one that needs to happen. Do the Cincinnati Reds plan to build around Jonathan India moving forward, or does the front office have more faith in the likes of Noelvi Marte, Elly De La Cruz, and Matt McLain?

India's season was filled with ups and downs as well as injury. But one area that really took a hit was his defense. India was among one of the worst defenders at his position during the 2022 season, and with the rule changes going into effect next season that limit the defensive shift, those numbers could get much worse.

Now, the argument could be made that after a down-year, perhaps the Cincinnati Reds could approach India about a team-friendly contract extension. However, a player like India knows his value, and would probably be a little hesitant to sign a long-term contract coming off a sophomore season that saw him post a .705 OPS and -0.4 bWAR.

Jonathan India won over the hearts of Reds Country last season and could certainly be a key cog in the Cincinnati lineup for the next decade. He plays with grit and determination, and the Reds' faithful love his hustle and toughness.

But, it would be wise for the Cincinnati Reds brass to hit the pause button for the moment. With so many young infielders in the pipeline, and India coming off a less-than-stellar season, now may not be the best time to sign the University of Florida alum to a long-term contract. Cincinnati still maintains team-control over India through the 2026 season.