A new report suggests the Cincinnati Reds are scared to aggressively pursue a pair of impact free agents left on the market because of concerns about their television deal.
Last season brought another important development step forward for the CIN Reds. After a 77-win season in 2024, the organization made the bold decision to hire managerial legend Terry Francona as their new skipper in the hopes that he could take the roster to another level.
And with a little help from a September collapse by the New York Mets, the manager was able to lead the club to 83 wins and a trip to the playoffs for just the second time over the last decade. It is a major reason why the CIN Reds were viewed as a team that might be surprisingly aggressive to improve the roster this offseason.
They were even one of the teams pursuing star free agent Kyle Schwarber last month.
CIN Reds hesitant to pursue Eugenio Suarez because of TV deal concerns?
However, in recent weeks, things have quieted down, and the club hasn’t been linked to any notable trade or free agent rumors. Well, there may be a very important reason why. According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the uncertainty of where Reds games will air next season and how much money they will make from them has put a pause on their free agent pursuits.
The parent company of FanDuel Sports Network, Main Street Sports Group, cancelled its current TV deals with various clubs, including the CIN Reds, earlier this month. They are looking to renegotiate those contracts due to serious financial problems. Having games broadcast on FanDuel or through MLB could mean the loss of a significant amount of money in 2026.
According to the MLB insiders, because the CIN Reds don’t have a firm idea of the expected revenue numbers from their broadcast rights, it has directly affected the team’s ability to sign Eugenio Suárez and outfielder Austin Hays. Two players the organization has a lot of interest in and who could be meaningful players for them in 2026.
Multiple teams have reportedly been hampered in free agency by the uncertainty of their TV revenue, including the Los Angeles Angels.
