Should the Cincinnati Reds Extend Sal Stewart?

Jesus JimenezSat, Jul 18, 2026·2 min read

The Cincinnati Reds have not had the season that many fans were hoping for. After making the MLB playoffs last year, albeit a brief wild card appearance against the Los Angeles Dodgers that ended in two games, it was still a step forward in the right direction.

That momentum has not carried over into 2026, and it is clear the Reds are in an interesting phase where they may have to sell at this year's trade deadline while also trying to avoid a full rebuilding era.

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The reason they can avoid that is because they have multiple young pieces under cost-controlled contracts who give this franchise a genuine foundation to build around.

Aside from Elly De La Cruz, the face of the franchise, another player has entered that same conversation this season, and that is third baseman Sal Stewart.

Stewart made his debut late last season in September and impressed across 18 games, including being one of the most productive players in the wild card round. While the Reds as a whole have not sustained their momentum, Stewart has.

Across 95 games before the All-Star break, he posted a .256 batting average, .338 on-base percentage, .812 OPS, 19 home runs and 65 RBIs, good enough to earn his first career All-Star selection and establish himself as the clear frontrunner for National League Rookie of the Year.

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The question now worth asking is whether the Reds should lock him up long-term before he ever gets close to free agency.

Stewart is under team control through the 2031 season, so there is no immediate urgency. But small-market franchises have been increasingly proactive about extending players years before free agency on deals that make sense for both sides.

The most recent example was JJ Wetherholt of the St. Louis Cardinals, who signed an eight-year, $112.5 million extension despite being a first-year player, similar to where Stewart is right now.

It has been just over 100 total big-league games for Stewart, and this was always the player he was supposed to be as a former first-round pick back in 2022. The talent was never in question.

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The Reds now have to decide whether they believe strongly enough in his ability to sustain this production to commit to him now at a discount rather than waiting until his value is even higher.

Given what he has already shown, the answer should be yes. Getting a deal done now protects the organization financially while giving Stewart the security he has earned. In a market like Cincinnati, locking up franchise players early is not just smart, it is necessary.