Riverfront Territory: A Cincinnati Reds Podcast

The 2027 Reds will look different.

Emilio Pagán declined his $10 million player option and is a free agent. The Reds will need a new closer.

Eugenio Suárez is a free agent after the Reds declined his $16 million mutual option, ending his second stint in Cincinnati.

Pierce Johnson is a free agent as well after the Reds declined his $8 million mutual option and paid the $1 million buyout.

The closer role is open.

Third base is open.

Another bullpen spot is open.

Free agency starts with a longer list than it had yesterday.We break down what each move means for the 2027 roster and which hole is the hardest to fill.

Longtime Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans and Mason Estep of RedsDaily.com breaks down the news and explains the Reds offseason and more in today's episode.

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The Reds lost their closer today.

Emilio Pagán declined his $10 million player option and is now a free agent.

The Reds will need a new closer after their bullpen anchor walked away from the deal.

Eugenio Suárez is also a free agent after the Reds declined his mutual option, ending his second stint in Cincinnati.

Pierce Johnson is a free agent as well after the Reds declined his mutual option and paid the buyout.

The bullpen loses its closer and another reliever.

Third base is open again.

The Reds start the offseason with more holes than they had yesterday.

Mason Estep of RedsDaily.com breaks down the news and explains the Reds offseason and more in today's episode.

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The Reds will lose familiar faces in 2027, some of the longest tenured and biggest names.

These are the 5 Reds who won't be back: TJ Friedl, Pierce Johnson, Eugenio Suárez, Brock Burke, and Tyler Stephenson.

We ranked them live and took fan votes in the comments, and added one fan-voted player at the end.

The Reds will lose familiar faces in 2027, some of the longest tenured and biggest names.

All comments during the live episode show behind the host on set! TJ Friedl is a minor-league free agent. He has history and character with the Reds, but he could show those things somewhere else and come back later.

Pierce Johnson was fine but nothing more.

Eugenio Suárez brought power the Reds did not need. The reunion was nice, but it was one of those where you are happy you saw your ex and you want her to be happy, and you also know you broke up for a reason.

Brock Burke may have priced himself out of a return, but he is worth watching in the scramble right after the lockout.

Tyler Stephenson could come back on a short-term deal if the lockout creates a mad scramble. Familiarity matters for a catcher.

Longtime Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans Mason Estep of RedsDaily.com breaks down and explains the Reds' expected 2027 roster changes in today's episode.

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Is this Elly De La Cruz’s last game as a Red?

September 27 in Toronto.

Elly was the DH, went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, and the Reds lost 5-1.

Could that may be the last box score he ever has as a Red?

The CBA expires December 1. A lockout is expected - and trades freeze during lockouts.

If the lockout eats all of 2027, the first time the Reds can trade him is next winter, with two years of control left.

The last team in this spot was Washington with Juan Soto. They traded him with 2½ years left. The team that got him traded him again with one year left.

That’s the Soto plan. And the Reds are lined up to run it next.

Longtime Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans Mason Estep of RedsDaily.com breaks down and explains the Reds situation with Elly in today's episode.

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The Reds are not the Brewers. The Brewers, Rays, and Guardians are all in the Championship Series. The Reds finished 75-87 and last in the NL Central.

Earlier this season Bob Castellini asked the front office “Why aren’t we the Brewers?”

According to reporting by Ken Rosenthal and C. Trent Rosecrans, Nick Krall answered with a list of trades ownership would not approve.

The same reporting said ownership overruled the front office on specific player decisions last winter.

All-time Reds saves leader Danny Graves, Mason Estep of #RedsDaily, and long-time Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans break down what has happened with Reds fans of new and old in today's live and interactive episode on #RiverfrontTerritory

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Longtime Reds fans are saying they’re done.

Attendance dropped under 2 million for the first time since 2022, roughly 180,000 fewer fans than 2025.

Peak interest in the 1970s hit 2.63 million in 1976 and stayed above 2 million through 1980. The comments match the numbers.

Mason Estep of RedsDaily.com and long-time Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans break down what has happened with Reds fans of new and old in today's live and interactive episode.

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In spring training of 2025, the Reds offered Elly De La Cruz a deal that would have made him the highest-paid player in franchise history.

He turned it down.

Joey Votto’s record was 10 years and $225 million in 2012. In 2026 dollars, that deal is about $328 million. He then had the best season of his career on a last-place team. .283/.365/.515, 30 home runs, 30 steals, 30 doubles.

He is the fourth Red to go 30-30, after Eric Davis, Barry Larkin, and Brandon Phillips. On October 1, Phil Castellini called him a once-in-a-lifetime talent and said any extension has to sit inside a total strategic plan.

Mason Estep of RedsDaily.com breaks down and explains the Reds situation with Elly in today's episode.

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BREAKING: Chris Valaika is coming back as the Reds' hitting coach.

Assistant hitting coach Will Remillard is not.

The offense he is being asked to coach again was last in baseball in batting average and on-base percentage. The Reds hit .229 with a .305 on-base percentage, both last in the majors. They scored 666 runs, 27th in baseball, after scoring 716 and finishing 14th in 2025.

They were second in the National League in home runs and last in the National League in runs scored. Nick Krall said they added power, finished second in homers, and still need to get on base and make better contact.

Mason Estep of RedsDaily.com breaks down and explains the Reds hitting coach situation and the state of affairs for the Cincinnati Reds.

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BREAKING: TJ Friedl is gone.

The Reds designated him for assignment on September 20, outrighted him to Louisville on September 22, and on September 29 he refused the assignment and elected free agency.

He hit .172 with a .255 on-base and a .255 slugging in 91 games. Four home runs. Thirteen RBI. Will Benson refused his own assignment on October 3. The outfield those two left behind had a .660 OPS, the worst in baseball.

Mason Estep of Reds Daily breaks down and explains why the Reds let TJ Friedl walk, his legacy as a Cincinnati Red, and what fans can anticipate for the Reds outfield in 2027.

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Phil Castellini sat down on Thursday and said the goal is still championship baseball. Period.

That is the same promise this ownership group made in 2006. Since then the Reds are 1,572-1,728, with two division titles, three wild cards, and zero World Series. They have not won a postseason series since 1995, the longest drought in baseball. This season opened with playoff hopes and ended 75-87, last in the National League Central.

He also said Nick Krall and Brad Meador will have final say on baseball matters. Then he said he would not call that a dynamic change. The strategy is still to grow their own. The farm system was just ranked 28th. Derek Johnson is the one coach confirmed out. Ownership ordered Eugenio Suárez over Nick Martinez last winter. Martinez had the best year of his career in Tampa Bay.

He said the team is not for sale. He said the franchise can compete the way other teams have with fewer resources. He would not put a number on it.

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The 2026 Cincinnati Reds season is over.

Cincinnati finished 75-87 and last in the National League Central, one year after winning a wild-card spot at 83-79. Sunday’s finale was a 5-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Milwaukee Brewers, the team Bob Castellini asked his own staff to explain, won 103 games.

Elly De La Cruz joined the 30-30 club. Chase Burns gave the rotation a real ace. The lineup hit home runs and still barely scored. The defense finished last in Defensive Runs Saved. Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo missed time. The bullpen collapsed. Ownership says Nick Krall and Brad Meador are coming back.

So what was 2026?

A one-year blip after a playoff team? Proof the Reds cannot hold a good season? Or the same movie with new names?

C. Trent Rosecrans of the Athletic and Mason Estep of Reds Daily wrap the year after the final out and look at what has to change before 2027.

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BREAKING: Bob Castellini asked his own front office a question this season that Reds fans have been asking for years.

“Why aren’t we the Brewers?”

Nick Krall’s answer, according to reporting from Ken Rosenthal and C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, was to show ownership the trades it would not make.

The same story says the Castellinis plan to keep Krall and general manager Brad Meador after another last-place finish.

The Brewers spent about what the Reds spent and kept winning.

The Reds have not won a playoff game since 2012. They have not won more than 90 games since 2013. Milwaukee is heading back to October again.

So whose problem is that? Can you run a small-market club like the Brewers if ownership will not trade players at peak value?

And if the owner asked the question, why is the front office the only group that ever gets put on trial?

C. Trent Rosecrans, Reds all-time saves leader Danny Graves, and Mason Estep of Reds Daily break down The Athletic’s reporting and what it means for the Cincinnati Reds.

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BREAKING: The Reds are eliminated and will miss the playoffs for the 16th time since the Castellini's took over the team and promised championship baseball in a letter to Reds fans over twenty years ago.

The Reds will finish last in the NL Central this year (for the fifth time since 2015)

As fans and members of the media debate who's to blame, pointing fingers at different levels of the Cincinnati Reds organization, something funny happens when you zoom out a little bit and think.

Can you blame today's crew for decades of issues?

What if the crew has turned over and been completely replaced multiple times?

Long time Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans, Reds all-time saves leader Danny Graves, and Mason Estep of Reds Daily discuss the current state of the Cincinnati Reds franchise in today's episode.

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BREAKING: There are two things Cincinnati Reds fans are familiar with: pain and early offseasons.

True to form, the Cincinnati Reds announced multiple transactions before Sunday's loss against the Chicago Cubs that as fans you never want to hear and for different reasons for both.

Chase Burns was placed on the injured list, which frankly was cautious and well done. TJ Friedl was designated for assignment much to the frustration of fans as multiple months past due.

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Elly De La Cruz has electrified baseball since he debuted in May of 2023.

As the conclusion of the 2026 season draws closer and the greatness of De La Cruz's season is taking shape, the inevitable conversation on his contract status as a free agent in a few season also arises.

What can Elly De La Cruz achieve in one season at the height of his abilities? What type of contract can he command on an open market? Can the Reds even afford any of this conversation in the first place?

All-time saves leader Danny Graves Reds, Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans and Mason Estep of Reds Daily discuss the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Elly De La Cruz's ascent and what it could mean for his future in today's live episode of Riverfront Territory.

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The road to Sal Stewart becoming a Cincinnati Red and potentially winning the Rookie of the Year Award may surprise most Reds fans.

But what may surprise even more fans is the asset awarded to a team's front office when a player wins the Rookie of the Year in the MLB, and why it's arguably more valuable to teams than the MVP award itself.

Long-time Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans and Mason Estep of Reds Daily break it down in today's episode of Riverfront Territory.

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Riverfront Territory is the official Cincinnati Reds show in the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe and share us with a friend! Subscribe to the podcast!

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Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans and Reds Daily's Mason Estep discuss reports that the Reds front office is set to return in 2027 along with the Reds coaching staff.

Justin Lebron's success in Dayton and the Reds recent historic losses are discussed as well in todays Cincinnati Reds Podcast Episode!

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Chase Burns was dominant in three innings in his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He'll face the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday and he won't be pitching deep into that game, either. What are the Reds doing with Burns to finish the season and why?

Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans and Reds all-time saves leader Danny Graves talk about the piggyback plan for Burns the rest of the season.

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Riverfront Territory is the official Cincinnati Reds show in the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe and share us with a friend! Subscribe to the podcast! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riverfront-territory-a-cincinnati-reds-podcast/id1850399387https://open.spotify.com/show/4heEG0sq6wck3Pjqq7ge5N?si=43dbc61c2f7b42a4 Follow our social media channels for more content! https://x.com/RiverfrontPod

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Reds playing spoiler in series wins over Padres, Cubs | Riverfront Territory

Elly De La Cruz has hit home runs in five games in a row, but it's been more than the power that's showing up as he continues to put together his overall game.

Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans and Reds all-time saves leader Danny Graves discuss De La Cruz's improvements in 2026 and what the future holds for the most electric player in baseball.

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Riverfront Territory is the official Cincinnati Reds show in the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe and share us with a friend! Subscribe to the podcast! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riverfront-territory-a-cincinnati-reds-podcast/id1850399387https://open.spotify.com/show/4heEG0sq6wck3Pjqq7ge5N?si=43dbc61c2f7b42a4 Follow our social media channels for more content! https://x.com/RiverfrontPod

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The Reds were 20-15 when Emilio Pagán went down with a hamstring injury in May and starting with his first save back, the team is 28-25, giving them a 48-39 record with Pagán at the back of the bullpen.

Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans and Reds all-time saves leader Danny Graves discuss how important a closer is in modern baseball?

Plus, Danny recalls his first career save — on the road against a rival and getting peak Mark McGwire out for the final out.

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