The Cincinnati Reds payroll in recent years has been one of the lowest in the National League, a big part of the reason why the franchise has made the playoffs just once since 2014. Coming off another losing season, though, changes might finally be on the horizon in Cincinnati.
Days after MLB rumors first emerged of Cincinnati discussing a trade with the Kansas City Royals, the two agreed to a three-player swap with infielder Jonathan India heading to Kansas City and starting pitcher Brady Singer joining the Reds rotation.
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- Cincinnati Reds payroll 2025 (FanGraphs): $101 million
It was a desperately needed move for a team that plays half its games in a hitter-friendly ballpark and addressed a starting rotation that finished last season 16th in ERA (4.09). However, it isn’t nearly enough for a franchise that needs to improve after posting a sub-.500 record in eight of the last 10 seasons. Fortunately for the fan base, it appears the front office isn’t done yet.
MLB teams who spoke to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale said that they believe the Reds payroll in 2025 will increase in large part due to the hiring of manager Terry Francona.
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Francona, who turns 66 in April, stepped away from baseball last season and was seemingly retired. That changed this winter when the Reds lured him out of retirement and signed him to a three-year contract that makes him one of the highest-paid managers in MLB.
The Reds payroll in 2024 was $100.254 million, which placed 25th among teams. While there was a slight increase over the club’s payroll in 2023 ($95.573 million), Cincinnati has consistently had one of the 10 lowest payrolls in baseball.
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Executives and agents inside the game aren’t suggesting that the Reds will splurge in MLB free agency on one of the top bats. However, the consensus seems to be that Cincinnati is ready to spend more next season with the hopes of fielding a contender in 2025. It would be an unexpected change in approach from team owner Bob Castellini, but a much-welcomed surprise in Cincinnati.