The Cincinnati Reds' biggest possible offseason move would be to sign Kyle Schwarber.
It's the one everyone is angling for, suggesting, rumoring.
Schwarber grew up less than an hour from Cincinnati. The Reds have publicly courted him already. It'd be a cool story.
But there are a lot of teams that want Schwarber, many of them with deep pockets. The Reds probably aren't the favorite, even if they are legitimately in the running.
They may have to settle for improving their team in other ways in free agency.
The Athletic's Andy McCullough suggests that is indeed what will happen. In a new article, he writes that one of Cincy's best moves this season may be to retain Emilio Pagan.
"Pagán rebounded from an ugly first season in Cincinnati to save 32 games with a 2.88 ERA in 2025," McCullough writes. "Might as well run it back. I’m sure Reds fans would prefer to read about Kyle Schwarber making a triumphant return to his hometown. This is the best homecoming I can offer you."
No, it doesn't have the shine of a Schwarber signing.
And yes, if the Reds don't get Schwarber, they likely still should pursue a lesser free agent bat, maybe someone like Ryan O'Hearn or even Luis Arraez.
But bringing back Pagan would be a good thing. It's rare that you find a good team without a good closer (don't look at the 2025 Dodgers, they're an exception, not a rule).
The Reds know they can rely on Pagan, and they'd feel much better about their bullpen in 2026 if he's back on board.
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