Five Major League Baseball players have received contracts worth more than $185 million through free agency this winter with the possibility of two more players joining that group.
The Cincinnati Reds, meanwhile, haven’t given a free agent a contract above $64 million in franchise history.
That is where the Reds reside in baseball’s hierarchy as Bob Castellini’s ownership group cuts payroll for the third consecutive offseason, dwarfed by some of the big-market clubs whose teams are willing to reach and exceed the sport’s luxury tax. The Reds currently have around $68 million committed to their 2023 team payroll.