Ben Verlander, an MLB analyst for FOX Sports the younger brother of future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander, took to social media on Thursday to ask a very relevant question. Verlander wrote, “Why are the Reds, with a good young core and a HOF manager, not going all out for a player like Anthony Santander who could hit 50 homers in that ballpark?” Verlander’s comments echo the sentiments of most fans throughout Reds Country.
Sure, one could point to Santander’s career .307 on-base percentage as a reason to avoid shelling out a massive contract to 30-year-old outfielder. Or perhaps it’s the below-avearge defense in right field. Cincinnati has put an emphasis on upgrading the team’s overall defense and Santander has been worth -8 outs above average (OAA) over the past three seasons.
But sadly, neither of those are the real reason why the Reds aren’t looking at Santander this offseason. The Reds’ issue is, and has long since been, money. Not that Cincinnati can’t spend — they paid Joey Votto $25 million per season during the twilight of his career — but that they won’t.
The Reds’ lack of spending this offseason has been frustrating
To be fair, the Reds have spent some money this offseason. Whether fans want to take it into consideration or not, when Nick Martinez signed his qualifying offer, that $21.05 million represents a higher average annual value (AAV) than the Reds have ever shelled out to a free agent. And that definitely counts toward the Reds’ bottom line in 2025.
But outside of the trivial difference in salary following the additions of Jose Trevino and Brady Singer, Cincinnati has done little to increase their payroll heading into next season. According to Cot’s Baseball Contract, the Reds’ estimated payroll is sitting at just over $100 million. Last season, the Reds ranked 28th of 30 MLB teams with a payroll of just over $90 million.
Why are the Reds, with a good young core and a HOF manager, not going all out for a player like Anthony Santander who could hit 50 homers in that ballpark.
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) January 2, 2025
Reds fans don’t expect their favorite team to go hog-wild and drop $200 million on free agent third baseman Alex Bregman (though that would be nice), but the Cincinnati faithful want to see some sense of urgency from the team’s ownership and front office.
Players like Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene are only going to be part of the Reds’ organization for so long, and the fanbase expects the club to be competitive during that window of opportunity. But if Nick Krall and Co. continue to do business the way they always have, their chances of success are not all that great. The NL Central is a winnable division, and it’s time for the Reds to seize that opportunity.
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