The Tito Francona era: 3 free agents the Reds must sign to win the NL Central in 2025

The Cincinnati Reds are looking to be a postseason team in 2025. They fired their manager, David Bell, before the season was over and promptly went out and brought in legendary manager Terry Francona to manage the club in 2025.

Francona brings a completely different mindset than anything the Reds have seen in the post-Dusty Baker era. Cincinnati is likely going to be a bit more aggressive in free agency and at the trade deadline than people are used to. Tito wouldn't have come out of retirement if the Reds weren't going to commit to winning.

So, which three free agents are the ones that Cincinnati could sign to win the NL Central in year one of the Tito Francona era in the Queen City?

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3. Cincinnati needs to add OF Teoscar Hernandez or another outfielder

The Reds need an outfielder, badly. Their current outfield only has a few everyday options, maybe only one if you move Spencer Steer around the field as much as David Bell did. But with their shallow outfield in mind, they need to add an everyday impact bat out there or else they're going to continue to be a below-average offense.

One of the best options that's set to hit the open market is current Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder, Teoscar Hernandez.

Hernandez, 31, has been incredible this season. He slashed .272/.339/.501 with 33 home runs and an OPS well over .800 during the regular season. During the postseason, Hernandez has put up timely at-bats, including a huge grand slam in the Dodgers' game 2 loss to the Padres in the NLDS.

He may be out of the price range of the typical Reds though. Cincinnati is going to need the front office to understand the urgency of having Tito Francona and they're going to need to attack free agency aggressively for as long as they have him. Paying big money for a few years of Hernandez could be the first step to a division title in the next few years.

2. Bringing RHP Jeff Hoffman back to Cincinnati would help their bullpen a ton

The Cincinnati bullpen wasn't a weakness in 2024, but it certainly wasn't as good as it could have been. It doesn't have the same feel or ability as a bullpen like the Guardians or the Padres. Cincinnati needs to add to the backend of their bullpen if they want to have a real shot at winning the division.

This could start by bringing an old friend back to the Queen City. Jeff Hoffman would be the perfect addition to the Reds bullpen in 2025, slotting in as their setup guy for Alexis Diaz.

Hoffman spent 2021 and 2022 with Cincinnati, making 66 appearances and 12 starts. He posted average numbers before moving on to the Phillies and dominating.

Hoffman has been completely dominant and reliable during his two-year tenure with the Phillies. Because of this, he's going to be quite a hot commodity on the open market this season, with the Phillies and other contending teams looking to bring him in.

But Cincinnati could step into this bidding war and bring Hoffman back to the Queen City. A move like this is exactly what the Reds need to compete with the Brewers at the top of the division.

1. Cincinnati needs to prioritize OF Anthony Santander in free agency

As I mentioned in the section about Teoscar Hernandez, the Reds need an everyday outfielder. They don't need a few average platoon bats that haven't proven the ability to crush major league pitching. They need an everyday outfielder that they can slot into the lineup for 155 games a season. That's the kind of stability and consistency that Cincinnati needs in 2025. What better way to avoid a platoon bat than grabbing a switch hitter?

Enter Anthony Santander.

Santander, 29, slashed .235/.308/.506 with a career-high 44 home runs. An interesting tidbit about those home runs is the fact that, according to Baseball Savant, Santander would have hit 51 home runs if he played in Cincinnati this year, good for the most out of all 30 ballparks.

He's in the prime of his career and there are no signs that his bat is slowing up. He's not the best defender, but if you're adding 35-40 home runs to your lineup, it really doesn't matter all too much.

To preface, the Reds shouldn't and likely financially couldn't afford to bring in both Hernandez and Santander. Adding one of the two would be great. Santander leads this list because he's the better option, especially with his ability to switch hit.