Reds are playing the long game with Sal Stewart and it could work

The easiest thing in the world right now would be for the Cincinnati Reds to look at Sal Stewart, look at the fanbase, and say, fine, let’s just throw the kid a contract before this gets expensive. Stewart has been that good. 

Through the end of April, he hit .281 with a .373 on-base percentage, a .570 slugging percentage, nine home runs, 29 RBI and seven stolen bases in 31 games, good enough to earn National League Rookie of the Month honors. Those 29 RBI led all rookies and, at the time, led the league.  

So yes, when Reds fans start yelling about an extension, it isn’t coming from nowhere. Cincinnati has watched this movie before. A young player breaks through. Then the young player gets expensive and eventually becomes a much more complicated long-term question. The Reds do not operate like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets or New York Yankees, so the anxiety is not irrational. It’s practically baked into the fan experience.

However, what’s interesting is that the Reds might actually be playing this the right way.

That doesn’t mean it's risk-free. Waiting can absolutely backfire. If Stewart keeps playing like this, the price goes up. If he turns this first month into a full rookie-year statement, the Reds will not be negotiating from the same place they would have been in April. 

But there is another side here, too. Stewart is still a rookie. A potentially franchise-altering rookie. But still a rookie. And the last week or so has already reminded everyone why that matters.

Stewart hit a rough patch after his scorching start, including an 0-for-19 skid before finally snapping it against the Chicago Cubs. Pitchers started attacking him differently, especially with velocity inside, and suddenly the same player who looked untouchable had to start making the next adjustment.  

Reds have a Sal Stewart extension dilemma hiding behind his hot start

Nobody needs a lecture about how “smart teams stay disciplined” when Cincinnati has spent years forcing fans to treat payroll flexibility like an emotional support animal. But patience with Stewart is not automatically the same thing as being passive.

There’s a difference between refusing to spend and refusing to sprint into a franchise-defining deal after five great weeks. The first one is a problem. The second one might just be common sense.

Stewart looks special because the profile is loud in all the right ways. He has real power and has already shown he can drive in runs in bunches. That’s why the fan reaction makes sense.

Still, the Reds have to answer a hard question. “How much certainty do we have about what Sal Stewart will be after the league has adjusted to him two, three and four times?”

That is the part fans hate, because it sounds boring and cautious and very business-adjacent. But it’s also how teams avoid paying for the best version of a player after seeing only the first version of a player.

And this is where Matt McLain comes in. The Reds have made these kinds of offers before. McLain reportedly rejected Cincinnati’s extension effort before the 2025 season, with the logic being pretty simple: he could bet on himself, stay healthy, build a stronger résumé and come back to the table later with more leverage.  

At the time, Reds fans could understand the frustration. But in hindsight, are we really sure the Reds are crushed that he did not say yes? That’s not a shot at McLain. It’s just the reality. And Stewart, for all his early brilliance, is still at the beginning of that game.

The Reds don’t have to ignore the future to be responsible in the present. They can keep conversations open and make sure they’re not blindsided if the price keeps moving. Stewart has already given them a reason to dream bigger. Now he has to give them a reason to believe this is not just a heater, but a foundation.

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