These 6 big roster Q's await Cincy this offseason

This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CINCINNATI – It won't take long after the season for eyes on the Reds to gaze ahead to 2025. These final 10 games, beginning Wednesday, could solidify front office opinions about the manager, the coaching staff and the roster itself.

The makeup of the 40-man roster is still a fluid situation because of myriad contractual and health factors. It's also unknown what the 2025 payroll budget looks like.

"A lot of decisions," Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said. “You have to add guys. You have to leave spots open for free agency. There’s a lot of questions. We haven’t gotten to that point yet where we’re making decisions on anything. Get to the end of the season, figure out who’s healthy, figure out where we have to go with everybody."

While this doesn't cover every decision ahead for Cincinnati, here are some key ones.

Arbitration guys: Santiago Espinal and Ty France
Espinal has been a valuable addition as a utility player who now plays almost every day because of his routinely superb glove and underrated bat that has delivered when called upon – especially in the second half.

Turning 30 in November, Espinal is making $2.73 million in 2024 and is third-year eligible for arbitration this winter.

France has a smaller body of work with the Reds since he came over in a July 29 trade with the Mariners after being designated for assignment. But his resume has been nicely rebuilt.

Entering Wednesday, France has an OPS over 100 points higher with Cincinnati than he had in Seattle (.765 to .662) and a batting average that's more than 60 points better (.288 to .223). He has also solidified first base defensively.

What makes France a more challenging decision than Espinal? He's making more and will get a raise from his $6.78 million salary through arbitration (third year). The Reds are also expecting Christian Encarnacion-Strand to be back in 2025 after what was essentially a lost 2024 season because of struggles and a broken left hand.

“They both played well for this team," Krall said of Espinal and France. "They’ve both done a good job. The more opportunities they’ve gotten, the more they’ve taken advantage. Both are great guys in the clubhouse. Both have been really good here. We’re going to get to the offseason and try to figure out where we’re going with a lot of different guys.”

The opt-out guys: Nick Martinez and Emilio Pagán
Both pitchers signed two-year contracts in December that include opt-out clauses after the first season. Martinez's was for $26 million while Pagán's is for $16 million.

Martinez seems a bet to opt out based on his performance and the market's constant craving for starting pitching. He has a 9-6 record and 3.37 ERA over 40 games with 14 starts but has been the battered rotation's glue in the second half. He's 6-1 with a 2.72 ERA in 12 games (nine starts) since the All-Star break, including 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA his last three starts. The 34-year-old has also been a team leader and an example with his willingness to take the ball in any situation at any time.

If Martinez hits the free agent market, the Reds would most likely make a qualifying offer (likely around $21 million) but it remains to be seen if they would do more than that.

As for Pagán, he has a 3.47 ERA in 36 games but missed the better part of two months with injuries. He did move into higher-leverage opportunities and performed well in the second half. It's a better bet that he remains a Red.

The club option guys: Brent Suter and Luke Maile
Both players have local ties because they grew up around Cincinnati, but the issue will ultimately be finances.

Suter, like Martinez, will take the ball in any situation. He's opened games and has logged two three-inning saves this season as well. There's added value in his being left-handed, and he's a personable team leader. The 35-year-old is making $2.5 million in 2024 and the team has a $3.5 million option for 2025. Although he missed six weeks with a left teres major muscle tear, Suter has a 0.82 ERA in six September appearances since returning.

Maile is making $3 million this year and has a $3.5 million club option for '25. The decision on him could be about intangibles more than production, since he's hitting .157 this season. But he's been a superb backup catcher and a favorite of pitchers who work with him. His clubhouse presence and vocal team leadership abilities add to his value.