This bold offseason move could be the Reds only path to meaningful improvement

The Cincinnati Reds' front office has a problem — quite a few, in fact. President of baseball operations Nick Krall has been tasked with building a competitor without increasing the team's payroll. That's not easy to do, especially considering he's only got about $20 million to play with and multiple holes on the roster — both in the starting lineup and the bullpen.

Recent reporting from The Athletic (subscription required) revealed that the Reds have three players (Elly De La Cruz, Ke'Bryan Hayes, and Noelvi Marte) locked into their respective roles heading into 2026, but the team may look to use the versatility of the rest of the roster in order to get the best bats into the lineup with regularity.

The idea of moving Spencer Steer from first base to left field is a popular one, but he was just named a finalist for a Gold Glove this past season. Sal Stewart received reps at multiple positions during his time in the minors this past season, and Gavin Lux played all over the diamond in 2025. But perhaps it's time for the Reds to revisit the idea of moving Matt McLain to center field.

Moving Matt McLain to the outfield could be the Reds only path to meaningful improvement

Coming off shoulder surgery in 2024, McLain's offensive numbers were way down last season. The former first-round pick, who many fans expected to pick up where he left off from his rookie campaign in 2023, hit a paltry .220/.300/.343. McLain's production was so bad that ended up at the bottom of the batting order over the final few months of the season. Still, he's expected to be a key piece of the Reds roster in 2026.

Given the Reds' shoestring budget, pushing McLain to the outfield — an area that could use improvement both offensively and defensively — could be the most economical solution available. The Reds sent McLain to the Arizona Fall League last year, and he spent some time in the outfield. McLain also logged plenty of innings in center field during his college career at UCLA, so it's not a completely foreign concept.

Shifting McLain to the outfield would push TJ Friedl out to left field, something the Reds need to consider any way. While Friedl can be a spark plug atop the lineup, he was worth -10 defensive runs saved (DRS) last season. Friedl is 30 years old, and has clearly lost a step over the past two seasons. Reds manager Terry Francona has already spoken about the need to give Friedl more days off in 2026, and shifting McLain to the outfield would do just that.

The Reds would then have a number of competent fielders who could take over at second base. Steer has spent time there in the past, and Stewart has as well. Up-and-comer Edwin Arroyo will soon be knocking on the Major League door, and his elite defensive skills could make him a Gold Glove-caliber second baseman. Lux also has experience at the keystone.

Reshuffling the current defensive alignment would then allow the Reds to invest heavily in the bullpen during free agency. Cincinnati lost Nick Martinez, Scott Barlow, Emilio Pagán, and Brent Suter this offseason, and that's a lot of innings to replace.

Cincinnati should look to sign a high-dollar position player — more specifically an outfielder — this offseason, but given the team's spending restrictions, that's seems unlikely. The Reds already moved Marte to the outfield last season, so perhaps it's time to see if McLain can stick out there as well.