Schwarber, a hometown kid from Middletown, had serious enough interest from the Reds to merit an in-person visit with president of baseball operations Nick Krall and owner Bob Castellini.
“Kyle is a great guy, and he made the decision that’s best for his family,” Krall said. “He’s a really good guy. I respect that. You earn the right to be a free agent, and that’s great.”
Krall said that there’s disappointment after missing out on Schwarber.
“He’s a great talent, and you’re always disappointed when you don’t get somebody,” he said. “That’s the way it goes.”
What happens next?
“Like I’ve told you guys, our budget is in a similar spot as it was last year,” Krall said. “We’re working through what we can do and different things.”
That projects to be about $5-to-$10 million. The Reds would have had to make an exception and get creative to fit Schwarber onto the team. They had made an offer to Schwarber, according to a report by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, which met the five years the Phillies will reportedly give him but was $25 million lower in value.
Krall said the Reds are working on both the free agent trade market. Since the Reds won’t land a premier free agent, the Reds are now doubling down on the draft and develop model and are building from within.
“We made the decision to be a draft and develop team because we have to be that team,” Krall said. “We have to continue to have a strong farm system to grow players to the big leagues. We are a small market. We want to be good in this market. This is the best way for us to do it.”
It looks like the Reds enter next year with the same cast of top players on the roster, including several young players like Hunter Greene, Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer and Andrew Abbott.
If the Reds enter next season with mostly the same team, does Krall expect for the Reds to be able to take a step forward next season?
“We’ve got a young roster,” Krall said. “Matt McLain is two years off surgery, and he’s improving. Elly (De La Cruz) is improving from one year to the next. Hunter Greene. Nick Lodolo. They’re all improving. As they get into their prime, you expect some step forward with that group. With that said, you also want to figure out how to add to make yourself the best possible team you can be.”
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