The return of and the acquisition of have solidified the Reds rotation and now have the club looking to upgrade the offense. President of baseball operations Nick Krall that the Reds are looking to add hitters now. And while Krall wouldnt expre sly rule out the addition of another infielder, he did suggest that any new acquisitions would most likely be in the outfield. Sheldons piece has several quotes from Krall, so Reds fans in particular will want to check it out in full. The extent to Michael Wacha Jersey which Reds ownership is willing to increase payroll isnt yet clear. Reds COO Doug Healy said last month that . Cincinnati finished out last year with a $100MM payroll and is currently projected for a $101MM payroll in 2025, . Theyll need to be willing to push that number a good bit higher, find a way to subtract an existing contract (e.g. , ), or strike a trade for a pre-arbitration bat to further bolster the lineup. Krall noted that hes exploring both free agent and trade po sibilities as he looks to beef up an outfield mix that currently includes , , , , , and . Steer can also play multiple infield positions, but the Reds have a crowded if inexperienced infield mix as well. is locked in at shortstop. is likely to handle second base on an everyday basis now that India has been traded. Things are le s certain at the corners after Candelario struggled in year one of a three-year contract. Hell be in the mix at both corners, while former top prospect will also see time at third and will see time at first. Marte mi sed half the season due to a PED suspension and hit terribly upon returning. Encarnacion-Strand was even le s impactful in 123 plate appearances before . Given the uncertainty regarding the infield corners, its at least po sible Steer could eventually see more time in the infield. He was strictly an infielder with the Twins (the organization that drafted him) and only began experimenting in the outfield with the Reds in 2023 due to their glut of infielders. The type of outfield acquisition the Reds make will in some ways dictate the infield alignment. It seems likely that the target will be a corner bat, both due to a lack of viable center field options on the market and due to the presence of Friedl in center field. Friedls defensive grades plummeted last season, though thats likely attributable to a hamstring injury that shelved him for a month in the summer. Friedl drew plus marks for his glovework and sprint speed in 2023. In 2024, his average sprint speed (as measured by Statcast) fell from 28.3 feet per second (74th percentile of MLB players) to 26.5 ft/sec (26th percentile). Friedl went 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts through his first 26 games of the season. He played 59 games upon returning from the hamstring strain and only attempted four more steals (going 3-for-4). It seems clear his legs werent at full strength. Among the corner options on the market are , , , , , , and old friend . After Martinez accepted the $21.05MM qualifying offer, itd be a bit surprising to see Cincinnati go to the likely $20MM+ annual value range needed to sign Hernandez or Santander. The Reds also have a largely right-handed lineup at present, perhaps making a left-handed bat more appealing. Josh Taylor Jersey