Reds have a clear bullpen target but other NL Central rivals may ruin it

Cincinnati Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall has consistently cited the team's need to add relievers this offseason, and it would appear they've zeroed in on another target. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB Network, free agent reliever Ryne Stanek is drawing interest from a number of teams, including most of the National League Central.

Given the Reds' desire to bolster the bullpen, one can safely assume that Cincinnati is among that group. Stanek, who has Midwest roots, is coming off a down-year with the New York Mets. The 34-year-old went 4-6 last season and posted a less than desirable 5.30 ERA and 1.571 ERA.

Stanek's stat line was certainly underwhelming, but he answered the bell with regularity last season. The right-hander made 65 appearances out of the Mets bullpen and struck out 58 batters over 56 innings of work. It's the fifth straight season Stanek has eclipsed 50 innings pitched. The Reds are attempting to offset the losses of Nick Martinez, Brent Suter, and Scott Barlow, so it's easy to see the appeal of signing Stanek.

Reds Rumors: Former Mets reliever Ryne Stanek drawing interest from several NL Central teams

Though Stanek is from St. Louis, the Cardinals are the least likely team to be in pursuit of him this offseason. New Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom is overseeing a complete rebuild of the St. Louis franchise, and adding an arm like Stanek makes little to no sense.

As such, if the Reds hope to sign Stanek, it's likely that they'll need to fend off the likes of the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs and Brewers both made it to the postseason in 2025, and the Pirates are hoping to return to playing October baseball for the first time since 2015.

The Reds have already agreed to terms with closer Emilio Pagán and left-hander Caleb Ferguson. Right-handers Graham Ashcraft and Tony Santillan are expected to work at the backend of the bullpen, but the rest of the Reds' relief corps is questionable. While the front office and coaching staff have high hopes for Connor Phillips, Luis Mey and Zach Maxwell, all three are unproven at the big-league level.

Stanek can dial it up — ranking among the 96th percentile in fastball velocity last season — but walked 12.5% of the batters he faced in 2025. Much like the Barlow signing last spring, the Reds could view Stanek as a veteran arm with a solid (yet unspectacular) track record.

Reds fans will now have to wait and see whether or not Cincinnati offers Stanek the best deal, or if one of their NL Central rivals wins the bidding war.