The Chicago Cubs have been among the most active teams in baseball this offseason. One of the Cincinnati Reds' fiercest division rivals added another piece to their roster over the weekend with acquisition of closer Ryan Pressly.
Pressly is now the second former Houston Astros player to join the North Siders. Chicago added All-Star slugger Kyle Tucker earlier this offseason, and the Cubs are the obvious frontrunners in the NL Central heading into the 2025 season.
Cubs' trade for Ryan Pressly should put pressure on Nick Krall and the Reds front office to make a move before Opening Day
The Cubs are a year ahead of where the Reds are currently. Chicago added Craig Counsell as their new manager during the 2023-24 offseason, and outside of signing Shota Imanaga, rested on the lone addition of their new skipper to propel them into the postseason last year. It didn't work. While the Cubs posted a winning record (83-79), Chicago fell short of their postseason aspirations.
The Reds find themselves in a similar spot. Hiring Terry Francona to replace David Bell is a good start, but at the moment, the Reds are essentially running back a similar roster to the one they fielded in 2024, with hopes that their new manager will be enough to push the team into the playoffs.
In the NL Central, that's not the worst strategy, but the Reds have obvious holes on the roster and one or two additions prior to Opening Day could push Cincinnati into a dead-heat with Chicago for division supremacy.
There are obvious upgrades Nick Krall and Co. could make before the 2025 campaign gets underway. Adding an extra reliever like Carlos Estévez or a quality outfielder like Luis Robert Jr. would give Cincinnati's roster the boost it needs.
It's not as if the Reds haven't made moves this winter. Jose Trevino, Gavin Lux, and Brady Singer all figure to factor in to Cincinnati's plans this season. But relying on minor upgrades, a healthy roster, and a new manager is the same type of strategy Chicago employed last season. The Reds should learn from the Cubs' mistakes and make a bold move before Opening Day.