Player-manager Joe Kelley returned for his fourth season. Kelley moved from first base to the outfield, as the Reds acquired first baseman Shad Barry from the Chicago Cubs very early in the 1905 season. Some other new faces on the team included pitcher Orval Overall, who went 32–25 with a 2.78 ERA in 56 starts with the Tacoma Tigers of the Pacific Coast League in 1904, and pitcher Charlie Chech, who joined Cincinnati from the St. Paul Saints of the American Association. Chech had a 27–8 record in 35 starts.
