Reds’ biggest offseason wins came without a single free agent splash

Reds fans spent the offseason clamoring for spending. Sign Anthony Santander! Snap up a big-time arm! Do something! In the face of outcry, Nick Krall took a different route, which should have been obvious when the club opened the offseason not with a free agency move, but with a trade. With 20/20 hindsight, it seems like the front office made the right choice.

The minute Brady Singer moved from the Kansas City Royals to the Cincinnati Reds in the Jonathan India deal, his place on the squad seemed set. The former first-rounder would be a clear No. 2 or 3 arm who could eat innings and provide stability to a rotation that has often dealt with injuries in the past. So far, so good.

Singer is off to the best start of his career. His strikeout numbers are way up, and two of his five outings have been quality starts. He has used his new cutter effectively, particularly against lefties, and his sinker has yielded a plus-3 run value. Heading into Wednesday's doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, he is 4–0 with a 3.62 ERA.

Reds’ trades for Brady Singer, Gavin Lux, and Jose Trevino paved an unconventional path to success

Similarly, the usefulness of utility player Gavin Lux, who was acquired via trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in January, was never in question. Like Singer, he could provide dependability. In particular, he could play a variety of positions, an asset to a team recovering from a nightmare season of injuries in 2024.

The Reds have already tapped Lux’s versatility. He’s played second, third, left field, and DH, and has been used as a bench bat. No matter where he is on the field, Lux has maintained a hot bat. As of April 30, he led the NL in batting average. Lux tends to be a slow starter: his best April OPS prior to 2025 was .723. He currently holds a .911 OPS.

Some of Lux’s success can be attributed to luck. His expected stats are significantly lower than his actual numbers, so he could have a regression as the season wears on. Still, the Reds will take as much production from him as they can get.

One trade acquisition, though, was not supposed to make an outsized impact. Jose Trevino, acquired from the Yankees, was simply the new backup catcher, there to support Tyler Stephenson and provide a bit of a defensive boost. Stephenson’s injury, though, thrust Trevino into the starting role where he has thrived.

Trevino has been a light-hitting catcher, but he has learned to be patient at the plate and avoid striking out in 2025. These adjustments have led to a significant offensive improvement. Like Lux, Trevino’s stats point to luck, but his low strikeout rate and low whiff rate could help him extend this hot streak.

Reds fans were hoping for the team to spend some money this offseason in order to upgrade the roster. As it turns out, they did upgrade the roster, but didn't spend a dime. That's called Castellini ball.

More Cincinnati Reds News and Rumors