<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-perfect-trade-offer-for-phillies-nick-castellanos');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ perfect trade offer for Phillies’ Nick Castellanos');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/nick-castellanos-in-a-reds-uniform.jpg"></figure><h1>Reds’ perfect trade offer for Phillies’ Nick Castellanos</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-17T18:03:42-08:00">December 17th, 6:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-17T18:35:18-08:00">December 17th, 6:35pm</time><address><a>Garrett Kerman</a>Garrett Kerman also goes by the name of The Fight Analyst. He covers all combat sports, from MMA, to boxing, to even bare-knuckle. He is also very well-versed in all American sports when it comes to news and betting analysis. Whether you want betting advice or some breaking news, Garrett is your guy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-rumors-club-begging-castellanos-trade-offseason">Nick Castellanos’ tenure with the Philadelphia Phillies is drawing to a close</a>, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that a fresh start is exactly what the veteran outfielder needs. The Phillies have made their intentions obvious by signing Adolis García, essentially ending Castellanos’ time in Philadelphia after his disappointing 2025 campaign. Cincinnati, looking to add offensive depth and proven veterans to their lineup, presents an intriguing landing spot for the struggling right fielder.</p><p>The Reds have the pieces to construct a compelling offer that doesn’t gut their future while adding a capable bat to their outfield rotation. With multiple tradeable assets on their roster, Cincinnati could build a package that makes sense for both organizations without creating an astronomical price tag. This trade scenario allows Castellanos to find a new home while the Reds bolster their offensive arsenal for a playoff push.</p><h2>The Trade Framework for Nick Castellanos</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Philadelphia-Phillies-outfielder-Nick-Castellanos-1.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The beauty of this potential deal lies in its balance. Cincinnati can offer the Phillies a solid return without sacrificing core assets like Elly De La Cruz or Hunter Greene. The package could feature a major league contributor, two promising prospects, and the flexibility to absorb a portion of Castellanos’ remaining contract. For Philadelphia, receiving multiple pieces with upside provides organizational depth across multiple levels, while Castellanos gets a chance at redemption with a new organization hungry for offensive production.</p><h2>The Perfect Trade Package</h2><p><b>Phillies Receive:</b></p><ul><li>RHP Brady Singer</li><li>OF Rece Hinds</li><li>RHP Chase Petty</li></ul><p><b>Reds Receive:</b></p><ul><li>OF Nick Castellanos</li></ul><h2>Why This Works for Cincinnati</h2><p>In 2025, Brady Singer provided immediate pitching depth and innings consumption to the Reds’ rotation. The right-hander signed a one-year deal with Cincinnati and delivered respectable results during his first season in Red City. Including Singer in this deal demonstrates Cincinnati’s willingness to part with proven talent while clearing future salary flexibility. Rece Hinds brings legitimate power potential to the Phillies’ farm system despite his strikeout rate concerns. He showcased plus-plus power with a 495-foot home run last season, evidence of his incredible raw strength. Chase Petty rounds out the package as a former first-round pick with a high ceiling, offering the Phillies a pitcher with multiple above-average offerings.</p><p>The Reds can absorb approximately $15 million of Castellanos’ 2026 salary, making the financial commitment reasonable for a team looking to upgrade their outfield production. That would give Philadelphia relief from the burden of his full contract while providing Cincinnati with an experienced bat capable of delivering power and reaching base. With Will Benson and TJ Friedl already anchoring their outfield, adding Castellanos creates a balanced and formidable trio of position players entering 2026.</p><h2>Why This Works for Philadelphia</h2><p>The Phillies receive three pieces with varying timelines and potential impact levels. Singer gives them another arm for their rotation depth, addressing concerns about pitching consistency that plagued them through September. Hinds and Petty represent future assets who could develop into contributors, providing the front office with exciting prospects to build around in their minor league system. Rather than releasing Castellanos outright, Philadelphia receives actual talent in return while freeing up payroll to pursue other targets. The Reds’ willingness to absorb salary demonstrates Cincinnati’s commitment to making the deal happen, a critical component in moving a player with diminished value.</p><p>This trade represents a measured approach to addressing the Castellanos situation. Neither team sacrifices its future, while both organizations receive tangible value for their respective organizational needs. The Reds get a proven offensive presence, and the Phillies recoup assets while removing an uncomfortable situation from their roster. Sometimes the perfect trade isn’t the flashiest deal—it’s the one that makes practical sense for everyone involved.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds’ perfect trade offer for Phillies’ Nick Castellanos

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-sign-ex-yankees-astros-lefty-reliever-free-agent-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds sign ex-Yankees, Astros lefty reliever to free-agent deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Yankees-relief-pitcher-Caleb-Ferguson-64-delivers-a-pitch.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds sign ex-Yankees, Astros lefty reliever to free-agent deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-16T14:22:09-08:00">December 16th, 2:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-16T14:22:09-08:00">December 16th, 2:22pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds have made a move <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-gets-100-real-on-reds-pitching-for-2026-season">on the pitching front</a> on Tuesday, with MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reporting that the National League Central team is <a href="https://x.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/2001033955899007292" rel="noopener">adding left-handed pitcher</a> Caleb Ferguson.</p><p>“Free-agent left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson in agreement with Reds, pending physical, source tells @TheAthletic,” Rosenthal shared via a social media post on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Ferguson has played for several teams in his career in the big leagues, and most <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-news-seattle-acquires-quality-reliever-trade-pirates">recently suited up for the Seattle Mariners</a> in the 2025 MLB season.</p><p>Ferguson’s addition addresses a Reds need for a southpaw asset to their bullpen. Prior to their agreement with Ferguson, the Reds only had Sam Moll as the only lefty pitcher in their cast of relievers.</p><p>Ferguson made his big league debut in the 2018 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with whom he played until the 2023 campaign. In 2024, he was traded by the Dodgers to the New York Yankees for reliever Matt Gage and pitcher Christian Zazueta.</p><p>Then, before the 2024 MLB trade deadline, the Yankees sent him to the Houston Astros in exchange for pitcher Kelly Austin and cash. In the succeeding offseason, Ferguson found himself on another team, as he signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates before being traded months later to the Mariners for pitcher Jeter Martinez.</p><p>So far in his MLB career, Ferguson, who turned 29 years old in July, has a 3.66 ERA and 3.67 FIP through 333 appearances. He also carries a career 113 ERA+. Ferguson posted a .280 BABIP in the 2025 MLB campaign to go with an 18.9 percent strikeout rate and 8.1 percent walk rate.</p><p>The Reds, who made the MLB postseason in 2025, were 14th in the big leagues in that season with a bullpen ERA of 3.89.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds sign ex-Yankees, Astros lefty reliever to free-agent deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-terry-francona-gets-100-real-on-reds-pitching-for-2026-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Terry Francona gets 100% real on Reds’ pitching for 2026 season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Terry-Francona-would-like-to-get-more-out-of-his-pitching-staff-in-2026.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Terry Francona gets 100% real on Reds’ pitching for 2026 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-13T15:35:11-08:00">December 13th, 3:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-13T15:35:11-08:00">December 13th, 3:35pm</time><address><a>Steve Silverman</a>Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL." He has won multiple awards from the Pro Football Writers of America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds showed significant progress last year in their first year with manager Terry Francona at the helm. The Reds proved to be a scrappy team that finished 3rd in the National League Central behind the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-orioles-matched-kyle-schwarber-offer-reds-pirates-just-behind">The Reds finished</a> with an 83-79 record and earned a spot in the National League playoffs. They were defeated in the Wild Card round by the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Reds manager Terry Francona takes us inside the mindset building up his talented, young pitchers' workload over the course of a 162-game season.</p><p>MLB Network + <a href="https://twitter.com/SageUSAmerica?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SageUSAmerica</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ypcywhf3RY">pic.twitter.com/Ypcywhf3RY</a></p><p>— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1999958507286671705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Francona knows he has a team that is on the rise, and the Reds clearly have a young pitching staff that will likely be the key to their future in 2026 and beyond.  Those pitchers include Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, Nick Lodolo and Chase Burns.</p><p>Francona was a guest on the Major League Baseball Network and <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1999958507286671705">he told former Major League pitcher</a> Ron Darling that he would like to see his starters go further than 5 innings in their future starts. “You try to let your pitcher grow into that,” Francona said. “I don’t want to see our starters looking into the dugout after 5 innings wondering when I am going to take them out. I want them to get mad when I do come to take them out.”</p><h2><b>Reds are moving in the right direction</b></h2><p>The Brewers and the Cubs have been in the top two spots in the National League Central, but it would not be a shocker if the Reds were to upstage either one or both of those teams next season.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-emilio-pagan-returns-20-million-contract">The Reds</a> feature shortstop Elly De La Cruz and 1st baseman Spencer Steer in the middle of their lineup. De La Cruz came through with 22 home runs and 86 runs batted in last year, while Steer added 21 homers and 75 RBI.</p><p>Greene is one of the hardest throwers in either league. He finished the season with a 7-4 record, a 2.76 earned run average and 132 strikeouts in 107.2 innings. Singer and Abbott should also be mainstays for years to come.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Terry Francona gets 100% real on Reds’ pitching for 2026 season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-winter-meetings-biggest-loser-wasnt-mets');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB Winter Meetings’ biggest loser that wasn’t the Mets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kyle-Schwarber-3.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>MLB Winter Meetings’ biggest loser that wasn’t the Mets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-12T09:32:39-08:00">December 12th, 9:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-12T09:32:39-08:00">December 12th, 9:32am</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut-based sports journalist with over five years of professional experience. After graduating from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, he has covered every sport from fencing to football in the online and print medium. Dan hopes to see his beloved Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Losing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-steve-cohen-message-angry-fans-losing-edwin-diaz-pete-alonso">both Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz</a>, it’s hard to argue against the New York Mets being the biggest loser of the Winter Meetings. However, the Mets aren’t the only team reeling at the conclusion of the Meetings.</p><p>One of the biggest moved that occurred during the event was Kyle Schwarber signing a five-year, $150 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. The designated hitter drew plenty of suitors, but the Phillies managed to keep him in Philadelphia.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/mlb-rumors-reds-serious-poaching-kyle-schwarber-phillies-problem">Cincinnati Reds were one of those teams chasing Schwarber</a>. Coming up short, and the Reds’ reaction to losing Schwarber makes Cincinnati one of the biggest losers coming out of the Winter Meetings.</p><h2><b>Red shut down after losing Kyle Schwarber </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Terry-Francona-1.jpg"><figcaption>Mike Watters-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Schwarber grew up in Ohio, giving Cincinnati somewhat of a home field advantage in free agent. While they were ousted in the Wild Card Round, the Reds are coming off of a playoff appearance. Signing Schwarber would’ve proved the team is serious about competing.</p><p>That goes for the Phillies or any franchise seriously interested in the designated hitter. During the 2025 campaign, Schwarber led MLB with 132 RBIs and led the National League with with 56 home runs. It’s not hard to see why he landed such a lucrative contract.</p><p>Losing out on Schwarber is already a tough beat for the Reds. But what really makes them Winter Meetings losers are their post-Schwarber plans.</p><p>Cincinnati <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6876322/2025/12/09/kyle-schwarber-orioles-phillies-mlb-free-agency/" rel="noopener">does not plan to target</a> any other expensive free agents, via Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Reds had a clear vision in terms of landing the designated hitter.</p><p>“The Reds are not expected to pursue other expensive free agents,” Rosenthal wrote. “Their offer to Schwarber, a native of Middletown, Ohio, about 35 miles north of Cincinnati, was tied to their belief that his addition would help drive ticket sales.”</p><p>If the Reds truly don’t plan to spend much more, it’s fair to wonder if those ticket sales will go up. Cincinnati has a slew of talented youngsters such as Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene. However, they have to compete with teams such as the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. Not to mention other overall National League competitors such as the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s clear they need a bit more firepower to keep up.</p><p>There isn’t much talent available on the market quite like Schwarber’s. Especially if the Reds aren’t going to get into the bidding for Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger. But if Cincinnati had enough resources to make a competitive offer to Schwarber, they must be used. The Reds can’t just hang their hat on making the playoffs, they must make a real attempt to march forward.</p><p>While the Winter Meetings are a significant event, there is still plenty of offseason left to go. But if the Reds sit back and watch teams around them continue to grow, they’ll be left behind come regular season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB Winter Meetings’ biggest loser that wasn’t the Mets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/mlb-rumors-reds-ketel-marte-trade-mix-125-million-kyle-schwarber-offer');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Reds in Ketel Marte trade mix after ‘creative’ $125 million Kyle Schwarber offer fails');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Ketel-Marte-with-AZ-Diamondbacks.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Reds in Ketel Marte trade mix after ‘creative’ $125 million Kyle Schwarber offer fails</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-10T06:05:14-08:00">December 10th, 6:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-10T06:05:14-08:00">December 10th, 6:05am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds finally returned to the playoffs in 2025, but did not win a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite their young core that brought them to the dance, they have not spent money in free agency. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-rumors-cincinnati-push-kyle-schwarber-real-2-conditions">Reds failed to sign Kyle Schwarber</a>, but they are now in the mix for Arizona Diamondbacks Ketel Marte in the trade market. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6877800/2025/12/10/mlb-winter-meetings-reds-braves-blue-jays/" rel="noopener">reported from the</a> Winter Meetings.</p><p>“If the Cincinnati Reds add a hitter, it won’t be at the level of Kyle Schwarber. But the Reds also are not shopping in the bargain aisle just yet. Among the trade possibilities they are considering, according to sources briefed on their conversations: Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, who is owed $102.5 million over the next six seasons, including $41 million deferred; and Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe, who will make $11.5 million in the final year of his contract,” the report reads.</p><p>Rosenthal and Sammon continued, “A deal for Marte would require the Reds to part with top young talent, something they are reluctant to do, and possibly offload a player such as second baseman Gavin Lux, who is projected to earn $5 million in arbitration. Marte’s contract, though, is not considered onerous. The Rays also have discussed a trade for him, and potentially could include Lowe in such a deal, or spin him to another club.”</p><p>The Reds offered Schwarber a five-year, $125 million deal that The Athletic reports was creative. “The Reds, league sources said, offered Schwarber a five-year deal in the $125 million range, with room to grow. Their proposal had a creative structure that included deferrals. Ownership was willing to extend for Schwarber, anticipating that the native of Middletown, Ohio, would help sell tickets in his homecoming.”</p><p>The Reds have a young core they need to double down on. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/diamondbacks-rumors-what-arizona-is-looking-for-ketel-marte-trade">Marte would be a great fit</a>, but would be expensive for Cincinnati to bring in.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Reds in Ketel Marte trade mix after ‘creative’ $125 million Kyle Schwarber offer fails

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-scott-boras-dr-seuss-outlining-cody-bellinger-landing-spots');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Scott Boras goes full Dr. Seuss when outlining Cody Bellinger landing spots');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Scott-Boras.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Scott Boras goes full Dr. Seuss when outlining Cody Bellinger landing spots</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-09T14:34:06-08:00">December 9th, 2:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-09T14:48:01-08:00">December 9th, 2:48pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cody Bellinger is one of the big names available in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-aaron-boone-hands-off-approach-cody-bellinger-free-agency">MLB free agency after a strong season with the New York Yankees</a>. Bellinger’s agent is Scott Boras, a super agent known for his quirky press conferences. According to Boras, there are eight teams vying for the outfielder. The way he told everyone, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, <a href="https://x.com/BryanHoch/status/1998437548142583821" rel="noopener">was something out</a> of a Dr. Seuss book.</p><p>“It’s not for me to Judge, but great players see Red if they have a big bat Yanked out of their lineup. I haven’t Met a team that Dodges a five-tool player. To Phil the center field need is a Giant step towards the playoffs. North and south outfielders that fly with power, they’re rare Birds. In the offseason, there’s a lot of startup to organizations, and for that reason, there’s a lot of Angel investors that are looking for very versatile outfielders. So other than that, Belli doesn’t have much interest.”</p><p>Boras dropped hints on eight teams that are asking about Bellinger. The Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Angels are the teams. Overall, Boras did a nice job just saying the team’s name. “North…Birds” was a stretch, but it got the point across.</p><p>Bellinger is a former MVP from his time with the Dodgers. Now, after one great season with the Yankees, he has one last chance to cash in. He has the right teams involved, as many of the high-spending teams are in Boras’ riddle.</p><p>The Reds stick out as a small-market team that has thrown its hat in the ring for Bellinger. They tried to sign <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-orioles-matched-kyle-schwarber-offer-reds-pirates-just-behind">Kyle Schwarber, offering him a four-year deal</a> worth over $30 million per year. Bellinger likely will not sign a deal that short. But if they lengthen the Schwarber offer, they could stun the world.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Scott Boras goes full Dr. Seuss when outlining Cody Bellinger landing spots

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-gm-shocked-phillies-kyle-schwarber-reds');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: GM would be ‘shocked’ if Phillies don’t re-sign Kyle Schwarber despite big Reds push');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Former-Phillies-DH-Kyle-Schwarber-vs-Dodgers-in-NLDS.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>MLB rumors: GM would be ‘shocked’ if Phillies don’t re-sign Kyle Schwarber despite big Reds push</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-07T09:55:16-08:00">December 7th, 9:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-07T09:55:16-08:00">December 7th, 9:55am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-rumors-bob-nightengale-claims-kyle-schwarber-isnt-going-anywhere">enter MLB Free Agency with one mission that overshadows every other storyline</a>: keep Kyle Schwarber. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-4-teams-mix-sign-kyle-schwarber">Cincinnati Reds want him and the market wants him</a> as well. Yet the momentum <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-kyle-schwarber-approach-2025-offensive-explosion">still circles back to the Phillies</a> and the familiar power that defined the Schwarber era. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/mlb-rumors-reds-serious-poaching-kyle-schwarber-phillies-problem">The Reds have made their intentions clear, staging a full campaign</a> to lure the 2016 World Series Champion and three-time All-Star home. But the Phillies keeps holding the stronger cards.</p><p>Kyle Schwarber’s profile only raises the stakes. He has won the NL home run title twice. For one, he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-phillies-tie-record-amid-kyle-schwarber-4-hr-night">hit four home runs in a single game</a> on Aug. 28, 2025. After the season, he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-winning-nl-mvp-has-fans-excited-but-not-surprised">finished second in NL MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani</a>, who won unanimously. Then came his 2025 numbers were historic: a .240/.365/.563 slash line with 56 home runs, 132 RBI, and even 10 stolen bases. Players with that output don’t walk for free. They get chased. Teams court them. And most importantly, clubs prioritize them.</p><h2>The Reds’ push vs. the Phillies’ confidence</h2><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-rumors-cincinnati-push-kyle-schwarber-real-2-conditions">Reds made their pitch in public and in symbolism</a>. To start, they invited Schwarber, his father, and his youth coach to throw out ceremonial first pitches during the Phillies’ August visit to Great American Ballpark. Clearly, that wasn’t random kindness. That was strategy. That was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-rumors-kyle-schwarber-keeping-options-open-playing-hometown-team">the Reds saying, we want you home</a>.</p><p>Meanwhile, other contenders, the Red Sox, Mets, and Orioles, hover around the edges. Even so, inside league circles, one belief keeps rising above the noise. “I’d be shocked if Schwarber doesn’t re-sign in Philly,” one GM said. “Dave Dombrowski knows how much he means to that club and won’t let him go.”</p><p>Much of the buzz surrounding the Phillies this MLB Free Agency <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-urged-re-sign-free-agent-not-kyle-schwarber">revolves around keeping Kyle Schwarber and possibly J.T. Realmuto</a>. And now, as the days turn tense under the Winter Meetings lights, one question grows sharper: if Philadelphia truly pushes its chips in, does anyone — even the Reds — have the power to stop them?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: GM would be ‘shocked’ if Phillies don’t re-sign Kyle Schwarber despite big Reds push

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-rumors-cincinnati-push-kyle-schwarber-real-2-conditions');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds rumors: Cincinnati’s push for Kyle Schwarber is ‘real’ under 2 conditions');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kyle-Schwarber-with-Phillies-3.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds rumors: Cincinnati’s push for Kyle Schwarber is ‘real’ under 2 conditions</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-05T11:37:08-08:00">December 5th, 11:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-05T11:37:08-08:00">December 5th, 11:37am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds made the playoffs for the first time since 2020 this year, but failed to win a single game. They have a solid young core and, finally, may be willing to spend to support them.<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-long-kyle-schwarber-free-agency-contract"> Ohio native Kyle Schwarber is available in MLB free agency</a>, and the Reds are interested. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1997017920439046339" rel="noopener">outlined the</a> Schwarber-Reds situation on Foul Territory on Friday.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I don't see it happening, but I know the Reds actually want to make this happen."</p><p>The Reds interest in Kyle Schwarber is real, and he also seems to be interested, says <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ken_Rosenthal</a>. <a href="https://t.co/MgrpSolcdL">pic.twitter.com/MgrpSolcdL</a></p><p>— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1997016874530607559?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“In the end, it would seem they are going to get outbid,” Rosenthal said. “And some people at that point might say, ‘See, it was never real.’ It is real as far as their interest. And it is real in terms of, he’s a guy from Middletown, Ohio, about a half-hour north of Cincinnati, and he seems to be interested in them as well. But can the Reds outbid the Phillies, or whoever else might be in on Kyle Schwarber? That remains to be seen.”</p><p>Rosenthal continued, outlining the facts that Schwarber has to come to terms with to sign with the Reds. “Now, what’s the scenario to sign with Cincinnati? It would probably be this: Willing to take less money, or deferals whatever the case might be. And willing to join a team that sees him as a guy who could help them grow, help their young players, become a great influence on them, and at the same time, wants to play for Terry Francona. These are all appealing things to Schwarber, I’m sure. But this is also his last chance at a major payday, most likely.</p><p>Despite being a Phillies fan favorite, Schwarber may leave for any number of suitors. Anyone with an open DH spot should be putting in a bid on Schwarber. That <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-kyle-schwarber-pete-alonso-mets-phillies">includes the Reds, but also includes the Phillies, New York Mets</a>, and more big-market teams. The Reds have an uphill battle, but it would be a huge get if they landed Schwarber.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds rumors: Cincinnati’s push for Kyle Schwarber is ‘real’ under 2 conditions

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-emilio-pagan-returns-20-million-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pitcher Emilio Pagan agrees to Reds return on $20 million contract');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Emilio-Pagan-agrees-to-Cincinnati-return-on-20-million-contract.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Pitcher Emilio Pagan agrees to Reds return on $20 million contract</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-03T16:52:54-08:00">December 3rd, 4:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-03T16:52:54-08:00">December 3rd, 4:52pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds reached an important <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-cincinnati-signs-emilion-pagan-contract">offseason agreement with reliever Emilio Pagan</a>, as the right-hander agreed to a two-year, 20-million-dollar contract to return to the club. The move strengthens the Reds pitching and stabilizes the bullpen at a time when the team’s free agency picture continues to develop. Early reports from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and C. Trent Rosecrans confirmed the agreement and highlighted its significance within the broader MLB reliever market.</p><p>Rosenthal posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), <a href="https://x.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1996368936615682525" rel="noopener">sharing that</a> the veteran reliever had reached an agreement to return to the Reds and attached a link to the joint report he wrote with Rosecrans. The update provided the first confirmation that the deal was nearly complete and only awaiting medical clearance.</p><p>“Free-agent right-hander Emilio Pagán back to Reds, pending physical. Story with @ctrent:”</p><p>In the article co-authored by Rosenthal and Rosecrans, the reporters <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6837169/2025/12/03/mlb-free-agency-emilio-pagan-reds/" rel="noopener">shared additional details</a> regarding the structure of the contract. They noted that the agreement features an opt-out clause after the first season, giving the veteran right-hander flexibility while allowing the club to maintain financial balance as roster decisions continue.</p><p>Pagan delivered his strongest year as a pro in the 2025 season. He appeared in 70 games with a 2.88 earned run average, saving 32 games in 38 chances and ranking among the league’s most effective late-inning arms. His performance helped push the Reds to their first playoff spot in a full season since 2013. By the time the team moved closer Alexis Diaz in a midseason trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pagan had already earned the trust of manager Terry Francona as the club’s most reliable bullpen option.</p><p>The new agreement signals that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-make-flurry-free-agency-moves">Reds free agency strategy</a> is driven by continuity and selective upgrades. With several relievers departing earlier in the offseason, retaining the 34-year-old reliever provides stability and leadership as the team prepares for the 2026 season. As the MLB reliever market continues to shift, the Reds organization have positioned themselves to keep one of their most valuable contributors while evaluating additional upgrades for the months ahead.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pitcher Emilio Pagan agrees to Reds return on $20 million contract

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/mlb-rumors-reds-serious-poaching-kyle-schwarber-phillies-problem');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Reds ‘serious’ about poaching Kyle Schwarber from Phillies, but there’s a problem');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Kyle-Schwarber-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Reds ‘serious’ about poaching Kyle Schwarber from Phillies, but there’s a problem</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-03T06:42:50-08:00">December 3rd, 6:42am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-03T06:42:50-08:00">December 3rd, 6:42am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cincinnati Reds returned to the postseason in 2025, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-gavin-lux-gives-indictment-dodgers-bullpen-before-game-2">did not win a game in their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers</a>. While they have a solid young core to build around, they need to spend to make a splash in the National League. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, they have their eyes on a slugger. The Reds <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6857349/2025/12/03/cincinnati-reds-kyle-schwarber-free-agency/" rel="noopener">are making a run</a> at slugger Kyle Schwarber, but they know the Philadelphia Phillies have deeper pockets.</p><p>“Schwarber is from Middletown, Ohio, about 35 miles north of Cincinnati,” Rosenthal reported. “He is interested in a possible homecoming, according to people briefed on his thinking. The Reds offer him the chance to transform their young lineup and play for one of the game’s most respected managers, Terry Francona. The problem for Cincinnati is that the Philadelphia Phillies almost certainly will offer Schwarber more money.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-rumors-kyle-schwarber-keeping-options-open-playing-hometown-team">Schwarber is a hometown kid, which could come into play for the Reds</a> in free agency. He grew up going to games in Cincinnati, but even the veteran at the end of his run was born three years after the Reds’ last World Series. They have to do something to solidify this core before serious trade conversations about Elly De La Cruz start picking up.</p><p>Schwarber is perfect for the Reds and Great American Ballpark. It is one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball, perfect for a slugger like Schwarber. But Cincy does not have that type of player on the team yet. Their designated hitter spot is open, so long as Sal Stewart can play first base defensively. That should lead to Schwarber landing in Cincy.</p><p>Another designated hitter available in free agency is Luis Arraez. He is a contact machine and could lead to RBI opportunities for the young players. But Schwarber would provide much more value to the position and is worth the contract.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Reds ‘serious’ about poaching Kyle Schwarber from Phillies, but there’s a problem

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-make-flurry-free-agency-moves');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds make flurry of free agency moves');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Reds-manager-and-coach.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds make flurry of free agency moves</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-22T09:52:18-08:00">November 22nd, 9:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-22T09:52:56-08:00">November 22nd, 9:52am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-red-sox-reds-orioles-names-as-mets-threats-for-pete-alonso">Cincinnati Reds are working to return to the postseason</a> in 2026. Cincinnati is making a bunch of moves in free agency, to reshuffle the roster. Cincinnati <a href="https://x.com/JonHeyman/status/1991984819715314011" rel="noopener">is keeping relief pitcher</a> Sam Moll, per the New York Post.</p><p>Moll pitched for the club in 2025, posting a 6.38 ERA. He appeared in 23 games. <a href="https://x.com/Feinsand/status/1991998713171198088" rel="noopener">The veteran has appeared</a> in more than 200 career Major League Baseball games.</p><p>“Sam Moll gets $875,000 plus $150,000 in incentives from the Reds, per source,” MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand posted to X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>The Reds <a href="https://x.com/Feinsand/status/1991991341065355651" rel="noopener">made some other moves</a> to free up roster space.</p><p>“The Reds are non-tendering Carson Spiers, Roddery Munoz and Will Banfield, per source,” Feinsand added in a separate post.</p><p>Cincinnati reached the Major League Baseball Playoffs this season, after the New York Mets stumbled at the end of the campaign. The Reds made a National League Wild Card Series, before losing to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.</p><p>Cincinnati finished the regular season in third place in the National League Central division. The Reds won 83 regular season games, but trailed the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs.</p><h2><b>Terry Francona is turning around the Reds</b></h2><p>The 2025 season was Cincinnati’s first with Terry Francona as manager. Francona is a veteran skipper who won two World Series titles while managing the Boston Red Sox.</p><p>Cincinnati is working to add more depth to the team, with Francona at the helm. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-rumors-hunter-greene-could-traded-find-offense">Reds have an ace in starting pitcher Hunter Greene</a>, who has been involved in trade speculation. Greene <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/46999006/mlb-2025-26-offseason-passan-predictions-free-agency-kyle-tucker-schwarber-alex-bregman" rel="noopener">appears to be staying put</a> for now.</p><p>“A minuscule chance he moves. Not quite (Paul) Skenes, but pretty close,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote in his offseason preview.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-rumors-kyle-schwarber-keeping-options-open-playing-hometown-team">Reds are expected to look for offense</a> this offseason. A player in the mix is free agent Pete Alonso, who may also re-sign with the New York Mets. Kyle Schwarber is also a possible addition, as the slugger is another free agent.</p><p>Time will tell if the Reds can have a successful 2026 season. Cincinnati last won a World Series in 1990.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Reds make flurry of free agency moves

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-played-quad-strain-team-president');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reds’ Elly De La Cruz played with quad strain, per team president');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Elly-De-La-Cruz.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reds’ Elly De La Cruz played with quad strain, per team president</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-20T09:48:57-08:00">November 20th, 9:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-20T09:48:57-08:00">November 20th, 9:48am</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut-based sports journalist with over five years of professional experience. After graduating from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, he has covered every sport from fencing to football in the online and print medium. Dan hopes to see his beloved Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Reds</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On the surface, Cincinnati Reds shortstop <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-news-elly-de-la-cruz-ends-home-run-drought-no-doubter-cubs">Elly De La Cruz put together another standout All-Star campaign</a> in 2025. However, the fact he was battling through a series injury makes his performance even more admirable.</p><p>President of baseball operations confirmed that De La Cruz <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/elly-de-la-cruz-played-with-quad-injury-for-part-of-2025-season" rel="noopener">played with a left squad strain</a> throughout the 2025 campaign. While there was a partial tear, the Reds weren’t forced to sideline De La Cruz. And as the superstar begins his offseason, he is already been rehabbing the injury, via Manny Randhawa and Mark Shelton of MLB.com.</p><p>“If you look at his year last year — and I think a lot of people don’t know this — at the end of the year, like toward the end of July, he was dealing with a partial torn quad,” Krall said. “And he has been rehabbing — he was at the ballpark today — he’s been rehabbing this whole offseason.”</p><p>Even with his injury, De La Cruz still managed to hit .264 with 22 home runs, 86 RBIs and 37 stolen bases. It may not have been the career-high 25 home runs and league-leading 67 stolen bags from a year prior, but no team will complain about that type of production.</p><p>Under team control through the 2029 season, De La Cruz will be a key piece of any success Cincinnati finds until then. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-rumors-kyle-schwarber-keeping-options-open-playing-hometown-team">Reds are already considering adding some extra firepower alongside him</a>. They know a player of his caliber doesn’t come around often.</p><p>At the same time, Cincinnati wants De La Cruz to enter the 2026 season healthy. The fact he is already rehabbing should be a good sign. While he was able to play through it in 2025, the Reds want De La Cruz to play without limitations in his next campaign.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ben
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• Reds rumors: Cincinnati’s push for Kyle Schwarber is ‘real’ under 2 conditions

• Pitcher Emilio Pagan agrees to Reds return on $20 million contract

• MLB rumors: Reds ‘serious’ about poaching Kyle Schwarber from Phillies, but there’s a problem

• Reds make flurry of free agency moves

• Reds’ Elly De La Cruz played with quad strain, per team president

Ben Rortvedt

Latest Related Team News

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MLB rumors: Reds in Ketel Marte trade mix after ‘creative’ $125 million Kyle Schwarber offer fails

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MLB rumors: GM would be ‘shocked’ if Phillies don’t re-sign Kyle Schwarber despite big Reds push

• Reds rumors: Cincinnati’s push for Kyle Schwarber is ‘real’ under 2 conditions

• Pitcher Emilio Pagan agrees to Reds return on $20 million contract

• MLB rumors: Reds ‘serious’ about poaching Kyle Schwarber from Phillies, but there’s a problem

• Reds make flurry of free agency moves

• Reds’ Elly De La Cruz played with quad strain, per team president

Ben
Rortvedt