The Cincinnati Reds have something that many professional sports franchises need: a cornerstone player. But will they build the necessary support around him over the coming years to win a championship?

That player, of course, is star shortstop Elly De La Cruz, and a variation of the aforementioned question was asked by MLB.com's Mark Sheldon on New Year's Eve.

"REDS: Who will bat behind De La Cruz?

After missing out on Kyle Schwarber at the Winter Meetings, the Reds are still searching for a middle-of-the-order bat to put behind shortstop Elly De La Cruz," he wrote. "As they continue to explore the free agent and trade markets, they will also need their internal options to be prepared to produce. Young hitters like Sal Stewart or Noelvi Marte will have to prove in camp that they are ready to take the next step and become fixtures in the lineup."

The passage is a part of a larger article by MLB.com beat reporters titled "Every team's biggest question to answer before Spring Training." 

Who can Cincinnati acquire to have a playoff-caliber offense in 2026? Will internal options like Stewart and Marte give it the production it needs?

De La Cruz led Cincinnati with 22 homers, 86 RBIs, 166 hits, and a .777 OPS over 162 games in 2025. That helped the Reds make the playoffs for the first time in 2020, but the 23-year-old needs more help for them to get past the NL Wild Card Round.

A way for them to kill two birds with one stone would be signing free-agent outfielder Jesse Winker. The former Red could plug their hole in left field next to TJ Friedl in center and Marte in right, and has just a one-year, $5.4 million market value, per Spotrac. He played just 26 games due to injury this past season for the New York Mets in 2025, but notched a .764 OPS over 145 combined games for the Washington Nationals and Mets in 2024.

This also wouldn't hinder the development of rising players like Stewart and Marte. Stewart is a third baseman who logged an .839 OPS across just 18 games in the big leagues after getting called up last season, while Marte converted to a right fielder and logged a .748 OPS over 90 games.

If Winker returned to his 2024 form while Marte and Stewart continue to progress, the Reds would have a capable supporting cast around De La Cruz.