Reds will be stuck with two (maybe three) of their worst offensive problems in 2027

The Cincinnati Reds front office will have to work extremely hard during the offseason to remove the stench of disappointment from clubhouse following the team's finish in 2026. The Cincinnati faithful had aspirations of a return to the postseason, but were treated to one of the worst seasons in recent memory. To make matters worse, change isn't going to come easy — or cheap — if at all.

Outside of hitting home runs, the Reds didn't do any one thing well in 2026. Offensively, Cincinnati ranked last in batting average (.229), on-base percentage (.305), and wRC+ (91). The Reds pitching staff ranked among the bottom-third in K/9 (8.12), HR/9 (1.34), ERA (4.84), and FIP (4.82). Cincinnati was also dead last in BB/9 (4.19). And defensively, they're -31 DRS ranked 27th in the league.

Sadly, given the way the Reds roster is currently constructed, it's hard to see many changes coming this winter. That's especially true of a lineup that's likely to cling to the trio of Matt McLain, Jose Trevino, and Ke'Bryan Hayes — three of the worst hitters in Major League Baseball last season.

Will the Reds keep Matt McLain, Jose Trevino & Ke'Bryan Hayes? The short answer is, yes.

A social media post last week revealed the Reds had five of the worst nine hitters in MLB by way of wRC+ — an advanced metric that measures a hitter's overall offensive value. Trevino, Hayes, Edwin Arroyo, Noelvi Marte, and TJ Friedl all had a wRC+ below 50. That's an alarming statistic, but more alarming might be the fact that all five are likely to remain part of the organization during the offseason.

Let's start with McLain. He played in 134 games and hit .185/.274/.334 with 15 home runs. His defense is above-average by way of OAA (4), but underwhelming if you prefer DRS (-7). But he's still just 27 years old, under team control for three more seasons, and won't cost much more than $3 million next season. It's difficult to envision the Reds cutting ties with the former first-rounder this winter.

Onto Trevino. He appeared in 52 games last season while posting a .217/.221/.336 slash line with five homers and a 46 wRC+. Those aren't the worst numbers in the world for a backup, defensive-minded catcher. But Trevino's best days are clearly behind him in terms of defense (-1 DRS), and with Tyler Stephenson set for free agency and unlikely to return, there's no chance Cincinnati moves on from their veteran backstop. The question then becomes whether Trevino will be the starter or the backup.

Hayes was historically bad in 2026, and didn't offer any signs that his offense will improve next season. His defense was solid, but unspectacular (8 DRS and 5 OAA), due in part to a lack of games played. Hayes was on the IL for more than a month, and became a part-time player during the second-half of the season.

But Hayes is owed $29 million over the next three seasons, and you'd have to squint pretty hard to see the Reds making the bold decision to release him this offseason. That's not say it won't happen — they cut Mike Moustakas with more than $20 million remaining on his contract in 2022 — but that decision came during the final year of his four-year deal.

Hayes' situation feels less like Moustakas and more like Jeimer Candelario. Cincinnati cut ties with Candelario midway through his three-year deal after he proved that he was never going to live up to the $45 million contract the Reds handed out. Fans should expect to see Hayes on the field for the Reds next season, though he'll probably be on a short leash.

Because of his suspension in 2024, Marte is not yet arbitration eligible and still has minor-league options remaining. Arroyo only has 50 big-league games under his belt, and there's every reason to believe he can learn from (and improve upon) his underwhelming rookie season.

In short, Reds fans, there's a high probability that all five players will be part of the organization this offseason. Whether they all break camp next year is a different topic entirely, and until the owners and Player's Association settle the impending labor dispute, that subject is likely to be tabled.

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