MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand recently unveiled his ranking of the top 30 free agents for the 2025-26 offseason, placing Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber at No. 3. Feinsand listed the Cincinnati Reds—alongside the Phillies and Texas Rangers—as possible destinations for the Ohio native.
This isn’t the first time, and likely won’t be the last, that Reds fans hear Schwarber’s name connected to their team. Since the All-Star break, the idea of him returning home to Cincinnati has been a recurring topic among beat writers and analysts.
However, Reds fans have seen this story before. Not long ago, Cincinnati was reportedly in the mix for players like Tyler Glasnow and Shane Bieber. Luis Robert Jr. was rumored to be a target throughout the 2024-25 offseason, while names such as Sonny Gray, Josh Naylor, Nick Pivetta, and Teoscar Hernández have all surfaced in similar speculation.
Reds Rumors: MLB insider links Cincy to Kyle Schwarber, but fans have heard it all before
Last offseason, the Reds’ moves included trades for Gavin Lux, José Trevino, and Brady Singer, along with a free-agent signing of Austin Hays. While all four contributed to helping Cincinnati reach the postseason for the first time since 2020, none of them were major headline additions.
If the Reds want to make a splash by acquiring a player like Kyle Schwarber, owner Bob Castellini and the front office would have to do something they haven’t done since 2019 — significantly increase spending.
That 2019 offseason saw the Reds go all-in, handing out over $165 million in free-agent contracts to players such as Nick Castellanos, Mike Moustakas, Shogo Akiyama, Pedro Strop, and Wade Miley. It followed the previous year’s trade for Trevor Bauer, signaling a rare aggressive push.
Unfortunately, the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign derailed that momentum. Though the Reds made the expanded playoffs, they were swiftly eliminated in two games by the Atlanta Braves.
Since then, their biggest free-agent investment has been Jeimer Candelario’s three-year, $45 million deal before the 2023 season — a move that backfired, as the team released him this year and still owes him money through 2026.
The Reds have since focused on internal development, smart trades, and smaller free-agent signings rather than big splashes. Unless that philosophy changes, fans shouldn’t expect a major move. As appealing as it sounds, Schwarber won’t be coming to Cincinnati this winter.
Be the first to comment