Each MLB team’s most important offseason decision

After an incredible season, which included the highest-rated World Series in seven years, the MLB offseason is expected to be a huge driver in baseball conversation. What is each team's most important decision as they figure out how to compete in 2025 and beyond?

New York Mets v New York Yankees / Jim McIsaac/GettyImages

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Cincinnati Reds - Adding a veteran to help the kids

There comes a time in these young teams’ trajectory where the team needs to add veterans to the roster. There are multiple values to this. For one, it shows the team wants to at least attempt to be somewhat competitive. The Cincinnati Reds were competitive for a time last season. Another reason is to show the kids the right way to play. Yes, that’s an old baseball trope, but it’s been true for much of the league’s history. Bringing in the right veterans, even if it takes a slight overpay, makes a lot of sense.

We should probably be a little more specific. The Reds need good veterans. Elly De La Cruz is the superstar on the team, and he will continue to make the biggest impact, but outside him, Tyler Stephenson, Spencer Steer and Jonathan India are the only players with a WAR over 1.0. Jeimer Candelario is 30, but he had a negative WAR. Ty France is 29, but he’s also negative. Same goes for Santiago Espinal.

Nobody is expecting the Reds to get the premier free agents like Juan Soto or even Alex Bregman, but taking advantage of a cooling market on Pete Alonso or Christian Walker makes sense. They could even try to get a few players, like Joc Pederson, Jose Quintana, and J.D. Martinez.

The Reds just need to bring the level up across the board. This is an interesting market, and the Reds could be an intriguing team for players looking to cash out and lead the young guys.

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