National Analyst Makes Bold Offseason Prediction for Cincinnati Reds

The Reds made the postseason for the first time since 2020, but were ousted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Wild Card series in just two games.

As great as it was to make the postseason, the Reds should shoot for bigger goals in 2026.

One national analyst predicts the Reds will be aggressive in the offseason.

"The Reds will get aggressive," Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com said. "No, they won't go wild, of course, but besides having a contention-worthy rotation and a star in Elly De La Cruz who is edging toward his prime, they have a 66-year-old future Hall of Fame manager in Francona who isn't going to be around forever."

Aggressive isn't a word that I would use to describe Nick Krall and Cincinnati's front office, but it would be a nice surprise if they made it a priority to really improve the team's offense this offseason.

Doolittle said they're biggest offseason priority should be flipping the home run differential.

"The Reds badly need middle-of-the-order power, the kind that will better align their lineup with the long-ball-friendly vagaries of Great American Ballpark," Doolittle continued. "The Reds gave up 25 more homers than they hit in 2025, postseason included, the fifth-worst differential in the majors. That differential was minus-18 at home."

Getting a middle-of-the-order bat could make for a successful offseason for the Reds.

You can see Doolittle's full article here.