Reds got another reminder that the small-market excuse is dead

Writer Abigail Miskowiec argues that postseason success by small-market teams like the Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Guardians, and Tampa Bay Rays disproves the excuse that market size prevents contention. Miskowiec notes that top seeds Milwaukee and Tampa Bay built rosters primarily through trades rather than expensive free agents, while Cleveland relied heavily on internal farm system development to reach the postseason.

Miskowiec contends that Cincinnati Reds executive Nick Krall should pivot away from ineffective free-agent spending, pointing out that recent signings Eugenio Suárez, JJ Bleday, Michael Toglia, and Pierce Johnson provided marginal value. Instead, the author urges Cincinnati to focus on savvy trades and successfully developing top prospects like Alfredo Duno, Cam Collier, and Tyson Lewis.