Let’s take a look at the season that was for the 2024 Cincinnati Reds, the questions the team must address this winter and the early outlook for 2025.
Read more: 2024 MLB offseason previews: What’s next for the White Sox, A’s, Pirates and more?
Throughout the season, Elly De La Cruz captured the imagination of Reds fans. Sure, the shortstop strikes out as often as anyone in baseball, but magical things happen when he puts the ball in play, thanks to his plus power skills and spectacular speed. De La Cruz ran away with this year’s stolen base crown and reached base at a higher rate than many expected. He’s going to be a treat to watch for many years.
Hunter Greene might not have matched De La Cruz in terms of headlines, but his emergence as a budding staff ace was a significant development for Cincinnati this year. The hard-throwing righty improved his ability to limit hard contact and keep the ball in the yard, and he already possessed terrific strikeout skills.
Overall, plenty of things went wrong for a team that was supposed to contend for the postseason. Several exciting young hitters endured disappointing years. Perhaps no player was more frustrated than Matt McLain, who was expected to be a lineup centerpiece before he underwent shoulder surgery and wound up missing the entire season.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand had similar expectations but didn’t fare much better. He played poorly in 29 games before having his season ended by a fractured right hand that required surgery. Noelvi Marte was another young hitter who let the team down, as he was suspended for the initial 80 games of the season and made little impact in the second half.
A pair of veteran outfielders also fell short of expectations. TJ Friedl dealt with three IL stints for unrelated injuries in the first half and didn’t make a big impact down the stretch. Meanwhile, Jake Fraley’s power completely disappeared.
Expectations weren’t quite as high on the pitching side, but there were still some letdowns. Nick Lodolo couldn’t copy Greene’s step forward, which isn’t surprising for someone who logged four stints on the IL. In the bullpen, Alexis Díaz trended in the wrong direction with his strikeout rate and walk rate, as he dealt with diminished fastball velocity for a second straight year.
The Reds have plenty of pieces in place to get back on track in a hurry. The infield is especially deep. De La Cruz is set at shortstop, and the combination of McLain, Marte, Jonathan India and Jeimer Candelario can cover the other three spots. Spencer Steer is also an option at first base. India was a popular name on the trade market last winter, but the team might want to keep him in the fold, given the uncertainty surrounding McLain and Marte. Tyler Stephenson has the team covered behind the plate after making offensive and defensive improvements this year.
Cincinnati has plenty of outfielders with Steer, Friedl, Fraley and Will Benson but could look for improvements. Steer is not the problem, as he was one of the team’s best hitters this season. Friedl has enough bounce-back potential to remain the center fielder. Fraley and Benson are both left-handed hitters who fare best against righties. It would make sense to trade one of them, even if the return is modest.
In the rotation, there are plenty of options, but many of them were residing on the IL down the stretch. Greene dealt with elbow soreness late in the season but is still expected to be the team’s ace. Lodolo has struggled with injuries throughout his three-year career, but fortunately, none of his 2024 ailments was a long-term concern. Andrew Abbott dealt with a shoulder strain down the stretch, but he can be counted on as a mid-rotation starter. Graham Ashcraft, who missed the second half due to an elbow injury, and Carson Spiers could round out the rotation.
There are also some prospects who could make contributions next year. But overall, the talent in the rotation continues to lag behind the position players, which would make it a good idea for the team to add a starter through trade or free agency.
As for relievers, the Reds bullpen ranked near the middle of the pack in ERA in 2024, which is more impressive when factoring in that Díaz let the Reds down as their anchor. Díaz will likely still open 2025 as the closer, but it would be wise for the front office to add a setup man who can take over the ninth inning if needed.
Cincinnati has a solid farm system, but most of its highest-ranking youngsters are a couple of years away. Still, there are some who could contribute next year. And the good news is that the immediate help will come where the team needs it most — on the mound.
The seventh overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Rhett Lowder is the team’s most ready prospect. The 22-year-old enjoyed great success in his first minor-league season and debuted with the Reds down the stretch. He could be part of the 2025 Opening Day rotation.
Lowder will eventually be joined by Chase Petty, who was drafted out of high school in the first round in 2021. Petty didn’t thrive in Double-A this year and will need to show improvements in 2025 before (we hope) joining the Reds in the summer. Julian Aguiar is another rotation hopeful. Like Lowder, he debuted with the Reds late in 2024, but Aguiar didn’t have initial success and likely needs more time in Triple-A.
The Reds’ most notable prospect, Chase Burns, is most likely to debut in 2026. Burns was drafted second overall in 2024 and can top 100 mph with his fastball. He pitched for Tennessee in the 2023 College World Series before transferring to Wake Forest for the 2024 season.
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The Reds should plan on taking the step that was expected this year, and that means reaching the postseason in a 162-game season for the first time since 2013. The pieces are in place for a quality offense, and the group would look even better with the addition of an outfielder.
Still, this team will go only as far as its pitching takes it, and there are so many questions in that area. If management adds a few veteran arms and some young pitchers show improvement, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Reds could be NL Central champions in 2025.
De La Cruz will be a first-round pick in every 2025 fantasy draft and could go first overall in a few leagues. Steer and Stephenson will be stable middle-round picks, and McLain will be a boom-or-bust option in the same draft range.
Greene will be a coveted hurler who will be a No. 3 starter on mixed-league teams. Other pitchers, such as Lodolo and Díaz, will be late-round options who could really pay off.
