Reds fans might be overlooking why this offseason is earning quiet respect

Last winter, the Cincinnati Reds made the biggest splash of the offseason by convincing future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona to come back to the dugout. In Year 1 with Francona at the helm, the Reds returned to the playoffs for the first time in a full 162-game season since 2013.

Though they were quickly ousted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Reds fanbase was excited for the upcoming offseason, and assumed that Cincinnati's front office and ownership would look to build of their success from 2025.

It's been anything but that so far, and Reds fans are not happy about their favorite team's inaction this winter. Despite last year's success, the Reds' brass decided to keep payroll the same, and outside of a failed attempt to bring Kyle Schwarber back home, Cincinnati has been rather quiet throughout the offseason.

MLB Network analyst Matt Vasgersian praises Reds offseason

But while the Cincinnati faithful are bemoaning their team's measured approach to the offseason, MLB Network host Matt Vasgersian had some praise for what Nick Krall and the Reds front office has done so far.

"I like what they've done this year," Vasgersian said. "(Emilio) Pagán, (Pierce) Johnson, Caleb Ferguson. The bullpen's a lot better. They're taking a flier on Michael Toglia, and JJ Bleday's going to help them a lot. I like their offseason. I like it a lot."

Vasgersian couched his comments, however, with the same sentiment that nearly every Reds fans has by suggesting that Cincinnati still needs that masher in the middle of the lineup.

While that's certainly true, Reds fans seem to forget that Sal Stewart should be part of the Opening Day roster and may be able to fill that role better than any free agent pickup. The Reds rookie posted a .629 slugging percentage in Triple-A last season, and slugged .545 after his September call-up. In total, Stewart hit 25 home runs in 2025.

Cincinnati is also expecting a bounce-back year from Matt McLain. Now that he's two years removed from shoulder surgery, perhaps fans will see the version of McLain from his rookie year in 2023 when he slugged .507 and crushed 16 home runs.

And you can't overlook Elly De La Cruz's homerless-streak that spanned more than 40 games last summer. Francona has already admitted to overworking his superstar, and will look to give De La Cruz more rest in 2026. More days off — or simply time at DH rather than shortstop — should help preserve Elly's legs next season and may result in an even bigger impact from the All-Star slugger.

The wild card in all of these discussions, however, might be Noelvi Marte. After a cup of coffee in 2023, Marte was busted for PED use in 2024 and struggled mightily upon his return. He had his ups and downs last season and was also moved to the outfield. If Marte can play up to his potential — and that's a big if — he could be the key to the Reds' success in 2026.

So while Reds fans want to scream and yell about the need for Cincinnati to bolster their lineup — and there's an argument to be made — maybe this offseason hasn't been as bad as they think. Fans won't truly know until things get underway in late-March, and even then, that's just the beginning of a long season.