Reds’ late-season spark from Spencer Steer creates a 2026 dilemma

For most of 2025, Spencer Steer felt like a steady drumbeat that never quite crescendoed. The power showed up in flashes, the versatility remained useful, but the overall impact just didn’t land the way the Cincinnati Reds needed from one of its few established bats.

On a roster built around youth development that comes with nightly volatility, Steer was supposed to be a stabilizer. Instead, his overall value dipped (0.6 WAR, down from 1.5 last year), and the Reds too often went hunting for a swing elsewhere when they already thought they had it in-house.

Then September happened, and suddenly the calculus changed. Steer caught fire down the stretch, flipping at-bats with authority and patience, the two ingredients that made him such an appealing lineup glue in the first place. Over his final 17 games he stacked 14 hits, launched 4 homers, drove in 12, and worked 9 walks — a .255/.369/.509 surge good for a 141 wRC+.

That push didn’t erase the quieter months, but it did nudge his final line to .238/.312/.411 and, more importantly, reopened the question the Reds most wanted to ask heading into 2026: if this is the version of Steer they can bank on, how do they fit him, and maximize him, next year?

Reds face a 2026 decision after Spencer Steer’s September spark

That’s where the dilemma lives. The bat plays; the glove dictates where. Steer can stand at multiple spots, but his defense profiles best at first base. The complicating factor: organizational plans could funnel first-base reps to prospect Sal Stewart as soon as 2026.

Left field has long been the compromise — living with a defensive tax to get the bat in the lineup, but Cincinnati has to decide if that balance still makes sense with a young core that needs as many run-saving outs as run-creating swings.

There are workable pathways. One is the “anchor and rotate” model: Steer is your primary LF/DH who moonlights at first base, with matchups and off-days determining the mix. His September patience (those nine walks) hints that on-base value can buoy the floor even when the slug isn’t spiking, which makes him an ideal bridge between the Reds’ free-swinging young players and the true middle-order damage dealers.

Another is the “placeholder” path: if Stewart isn’t quite ready by Opening Day, Steer can open at first, shoulder 60–70% of the innings there, and slide back to LF/DH as the season and prospect timelines demand. And if Cincinnati leans defense-first in left, DH becomes a clean lane to keep his bat in daily.

There’s also the market lever. A strong September didn’t just help the Reds; it helped Steer’s trade value. If Cincinnati decides that first base belongs to Stewart, second base remains spoken for with Matt McLain, and left field requires rangier coverage, Steer’s late-season rebound gives the front office a real chip: a controllable bat with positional flexibility and recent production. That kind of profile can fetch precisely what a roster like this often needs, bullpen leverage, a reliable innings-eater, or a different type of outfield fit without sacrificing offense.

However the Reds slice it, Steer’s finish turned a straight line into a fork in the road, and that’s a good problem. The 2025 body of work was uneven, but the way he closed reminded everyone of the version that lengthens a lineup and lengthens innings. Now it’s on Cincinnati to pick a lane: commit to him at first until Stewart stakes his claim (if first is their immediate route), embrace the LF/DH carousel to squeeze out every plate appearance, or cash in on the upswing to rebalance the roster.

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