Reds latest roster decisions make their offseason plans impossible to ignore

The Major League Baseball offseason officially began earlier this week, and with that comes some key roster decisions. Though the Cincinnati Reds have already made one Major League signing, the front office had some house cleaning to take of before heading off to Las Vegas for this year's GM Meetings.

Three Reds players — Austin Hays, Brent Suter, and Scott Barlow — all had club-options attached to the contracts they signed last winter. Hays' $12 million option was always expected to be declined, and the Reds made that official on Wednesday.

The decisions surrounding Suter and Barlow, however, were not nearly as clear cut. Relief pitching is a tough commodity to come by during the offseason, and both players had meaningful contributions this past season. Still, the Reds decided to bid farewell to both relievers, meaning all three players are now free agents.

Reds make key roster decisions on Austin Hays, Brent Suter, and Scott Barlow

Hays hit .266/.315/.453 in 103 games for the Reds in 2025. He was hoping to prove himself after an injury-plagued season with the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies in 2024, but the ailments continued to haunt the Reds outfielder in 2025. Hays battled through a myriad of injuries, and Cincinnati decided to part ways with the veteran rather than bring him back in 2026.

A hometown product, Suter had an up-and-down campaign last year. In his second season with the ball club, Suter was relied upon to be an opener on three occasions and also gave the Reds multiple innings of relief in low-leverage spots. It'll be curious to see if Cincinnati pursues a reunion with Suter this offseason, or looks to add a high-leverage lefty through free agency or a trade.

Barlow looked like a lock to have his option picked up midway through the 2025 season. He hit wall, however during the final month of the season, and with so many talented young hurlers in the minor leagues, Barlow's $6.5 million price tag was just too high.

This obviously signals that Cincinnati will be turning the bullpen over to young guns next season. Graham Ashcraft, Connor Phillips, Luis Mey, and Zach Maxwell will all have increased roles in 2026, and Tony Santillan may well be the Reds closer if the team fails to re-sign Emilio Pagán.

The Reds bullpen (and their outfield) will look quite different in 2026. It remains to be seen if Cincinnati will rely fully on their young up-and-comers, or dip into the free agent market to backfill a few roster spots heading into next season.