Reds are now favorites for top relief arm after the Blue Jays snag Hoffman

Both the Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds have had a busy offseason. Most notably, the Reds have brought Terry Francona back to the baseball world. Other than that, they’ve made incremental improvements. They’ve acquired Brady Singer who will likely cement their rotation, however, losing Jonathan India, whose .357 on-base percentage last season was second in that stat only behind Ketel Marte among all qualifying second baseman, is a setback for their offense.  

Meanwhile, the busy offseason in Toronto had been largely fruitless. They have missed on every top target they have swung at and are facing a lost cause 2025 season if they can’t turn it around. As the Jays' top two stars, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, sit just one season away from free agency, GM Ross Atkins has his back to the wall.

Both the Jays and Reds have some deep issues both lineup-wise and with the pitching staff. As of right now, neither team can be seen contending in their current conditions, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel for both teams.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB offseason.

The Reds are now favorites for Carlos Estevez

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Toronto and Cincinnati have shown interest in star reliever Carlos Estevez. Through 55 innings with the Angels and Phillies in 2024, Estevez pitched to a remarkable 2.45 ERA with 50 strikeouts. It was a breakout season for the 32-year-old reliever (was 31 last season) as he hadn’t posted an ERA lower than 3.47 prior to then.

Now, it seems the Blue Jays' search for bullpen help is over. The Jays announced a three-year deal for another star reliever in Jeff Hoffman. By default, this update launches Cincinnati into the driver's seat. However, this development should be met with cautious optimism. Atkins may have signed Hoffman as a reliever, however, if their search for a starter produces nothing, Hoffman could be moved to the rotation.

Regardless of who Estevez lands with, the marketplace is still sprawling with opportunities. Heyman mentions Kirby Yates, Kenley Jansen, Jose Leclerc and A.J. Minter as prominent relievers still on the market. Others include Tanner Scott, David Robertson, Danny Coulombe, Craig Kimbrel and Jakob Junis among many others. Should the Reds lose out on Estevez, they will have plenty of fallback options to choose from.