The stockings are hung by Great American Ball Park’s chimney with care, in hopes that Saint Nick Krall-as soon will be there. If, like me, you’ve been eagerly awaiting some Cincinnati Reds trade rumors this offseason, I apologize for the radio silence. Sure, they kicked things off early by acquiring Brady Singer from Kansas City in exchange for Jonathan India, but they made it through last week's Winter Meetings without making another notable move.
Speaking of Singer, he sat down with Mark Sheldon to discuss a variety of topics, including the trade, his pitching arsenal, and the adjustment to his new home ballpark—GABP. The conversation was featured in the latest episode of the "Reds Hot Stove League", co-hosted by Tommy Thrall, so there’s audio content available if you want to check it out.
While it’s not exactly a rumor, Leo Morgenstern of MLB Trade Rumors recently made an interesting case for the Reds as a dark horse candidate to land slugging first baseman Pete Alonso. The "dark horse" label isn't due to an abundance of payroll flexibility—rather, it’s a reflection of how much their current lineup struggles on paper. How Reds fans would react to paying $25 million per year for a first baseman who only walks slightly above league average is another question entirely.
On the subject of signing hitters in free agency because the offense needs a boost, that’s exactly what Cincinnati did last year with Jeimer Candelario, though his results so far have been underwhelming. His positional versatility, along with Spencer Steer’s, allows the Reds to explore free-agent upgrades at multiple positions. However, there’s now concern about Candelario’s health, as Doug Gray of Redleg Nation reported that he left a Dominican Winter League game earlier this week after tweaking something while hustling down the first-base line. The nature and severity of the injury remain unclear, but it’s certainly not what Cincinnati wanted to see, given his history of injury troubles during the 2024 season.
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Meanwhile, in NL Central news, it seems that Nolan Arenado has shut down any potential trade that would have sent him from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Houston Astros. With a full no-trade clause, Arenado reportedly has a very limited list of teams he'd consider—mostly those in Southern California or big-market clubs in the Northeast. Houston doesn’t check either of those boxes.
So, while the Chicago Cubs have managed to retain Cody Bellinger while also improving their roster—potentially adding Kyle Tucker in the process—the Cardinals haven’t been as fortunate in their trade discussions. Let’s hope their frustration continues all winter long.
