Small market teams must maximize value in order to stay alive. Yes the Brewers are the kings of this, but on a smaller scale the Reds did find at least find some success with some diamonds in the rough.Â
JJ Bleday Got Off to a Scorching Start
JJ Bleday was a former 4th overall draft pick in 2019. Although hit a combined 44 home runs from 2023-25 and a career-high 20 homers in ‘24, 2025 was tough with the Athletics as he batted just .212 with a .698 OPS, 14 home runs and 39 RBIs. Oakland ultimately designated him for assignment and then non-tendered him. Because he had posted a strong 120 wRC+ in 2024 the Reds took a chance and it paid off.Â
The Reds signed Bleday as a free agent to a one-year, $1.4 million contract and he went nuclear out of the gate slashing .321/.455/.755 and hitting four home runs in the first 16 games after being called up. Overall he appeared in 133 games during the 2026 season, recording 101 hits, 24 home runs (a career high) and 58 RBIs to go along with a .217 batting average, .324 on-base percentage and .416 slugging percentage. That all culminated in a fWAR mark of 1.3.Â
Dane Myers Was Showed The Heart and Hustle The Reds Needed
Hours after finalizing Bleday’s deal, the Reds pulled the trigger on a trade with the Miami Marlins, sending minor league outfielder Ethan O’Donnell (their 18th ranked prospect) to Miami in exchange for Dane Myers. He had just a 72 wRC+ with the Marlins the previous year, but the Reds saw value. Myers would go on to appear in 117 games in 2026 for Cincinnati and improve his wRC+ 30 points to 102.  He also hit eight home runs and hit .257 on a salary of just $800,000. He showed a fearlessness at the plate and in the field that gave the Reds a spark that few players could match at that value.Â
Brocke Burke Anchored the Bullpen
At a salary of $2,325,000 for the 2026 MLB season Cincinnati fans had high expectations for Brock Burke. But in terms of massive dollar contacts that figure was just a drop in the bucket, and Burke earned every penny. He wrapped up the 2026 season with a 2.30 ERA, 6-5 record, 1.26 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts across 74.1 innings pitched out of the bullpen.Â
Though it’s true that Burke, Bleday and Myers were far from All Stars, their relative success on lighter salaries represent the moves the types of moves the Reds have to make in the aggregate in order to improve. With a fresh round of Reds hitting the free agent market, the front office is going to have yet another opportunity to bring in new players to make an impact. If they can find a way to make a few smart trades or signings that can translate into higher positive WAR, and avoid dumping money into players that are black holes for WAR (looking at Ke’Bryan Hayes with a -1.3 fWAR while making $7,000,000 in 2026) it may be just enough to get back to being competitive
