Signing Yasmani Grandal or other free agents would represent a big shift for Cincinnati Reds

Bobby Nightengale | Cincinnati Enquirer

Show Caption Hide Caption Award Season: MVP and ROY predictions Sports Pulse: Reporter Bob Nightengale predicts the MLB individual awards

As the Reds shift into the beginning stages of the offseason, they are expected to be one of the more active teams in free agency with a clear goal of improving their offense.

It’s a little bit of a different strategy than last year when the Reds primarily acquired players through trades. The Reds haven’t made much of a splash in the free agent market throughout the past decade, but president of baseball operations Dick Williams said the club is willing to make a different type of free agent deal than it did in recent offseasons.

“To go out and sign an open-market free agent to a big dollar multi-year contract is not something we’ve done, but it isn’t something we will shy away from,” Williams said last month. “You have to define how big is big. Given our market size, we want to try to avoid deals that are too big to digest, but we understand how to compete for talent on the free agent, which is part of the strategy this year.”

The Reds haven’t signed a Major League free agent to a contract worth more than $3 million per season since 2013, which has been the duration of their rebuilding process. In the last 10 years, the largest free agent contract they’ve handed out was a three-year, $21 million deal with reliever Jonathan Broxton in 2013.

They signed closers Aroldis Chapman and Raisel Iglesias to contracts worth at least $27 million when they were international free agents out of Cuba, but they’ve largely stayed away from big commitments in Major League free agency. Among big-league free agents, reliever Francisco Cordero signed a franchise-record four-year, $46 million contract prior to the 2008 season.

The Reds signed some non-free agents to sizeable contract extensions like Joey Votto (before the 2012 season), Homer Bailey (2014), Tucker Barnhart (2018), Eugenio Suárez (2018) and Sonny Gray (2019), but there are different expectations this offseason.

The difference now is the Reds feel like they are closer to the playoffs than their 75-87 record from the 2019 season would indicate. Williams said the club’s payroll will increase for the 2020 season.

All signs point toward a serious run at catcher Yasmani Grandal, the organization’s first-round pick in the 2010 MLB Draft and the top catcher on the free agent market. Grandal was traded to the San Diego Padres in 2011 in the Mat Latos deal.

Grandal, a switch hitter, provides a lot of power (20-plus homers for the last four years) and he knows how to reach base (.380 on-base percentage last year, .348 in his career). He’s rated as one of the top pitch framers in the sport, though he notably had defensive struggles in the 2018 playoffs with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

With draft pick compensation tied to him last year, Grandal signed a one-year, $18.25 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. He’s expected to command a multi-year contract above $15 million per year this offseason.

In past offseasons, that type of contract probably would’ve ruled out the Reds.

“We certainly feel like the (playoff) window is open,” Williams said. “When the window is open, it’s time to make a different kind of trade and a different kind of free agent deal than the ones you made in the past.”

The website MLB Trade Rumors predicts the Reds will sign Grandal to a four-year, $68 million deal and shortstop Didi Gregorius to a three-year, $42 million contract. Gregorius is a former Reds prospect who was traded in 2012 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a deal that involved Shin-Soo Choo.

The Reds want to improve their outfield and may pursue higher-end free agents like Nicholas Castellanos or Marcell Ozuna. Both outfielders are expected to receive deals around $15 million per year.

“I believe in our ability to make transactions in the offseason that help the team,” Williams said.

Major League free agent signings in the past decade:

2019 – LHP Zach Duke (1 year, $2M).

2018 – RHP David Hernandez (2 years, $5M), RHP Jared Hughes (2 years, $4.5M).

2017 – RHP Drew Storen (1 year, $3M), RHP Scott Feldman (1 year, $2.3M).

2016 – RHP Alfredo Simon (1 year, $2M), RHP Ross Ohlendorf (1 year, $800K), RHP Blake Wood (1 year, $600K).

2015 – RHP Burke Badenhop (1 year, $2.5M).

2014 – LHP Manny Parra (2 years, $5.5M), 2B Skip Schumaker (2 years, $5M), C Brayan Pena (2 years, $2.275M).

2013 – RHP Jonathan Broxton (3 years, $21M), LF Ryan Ludwick (2 years, $15M), 3B Jack Hannahan (2 years, $4M), LHP Manny Parra (1 year, $1M).

2012 – RHP Ryan Madson (1 year, $8.5M), LF Ryan Ludwick (1 year, $2.5M).

2011 – C Ramon Hernandez (1 year, $2.95M), SS Edgar Renteria (1 year, $2.1M), LF Fred Lewis (1 year, $900K).

2010 – SS Orlando Cabrera (1 year $3.02M), C Ramon Hernandez (1 year, $3M), LF Jonny Gomes (1 year, $800K).

Notable: RHP Francisco Cordero (4 years, $46M in 2008), RHP Eric Milton (3 years, $25.5M in 2005), SS Alex Gonzalez (3 years, $14M in 2007).