CINCINNATI – The Reds have a need for more offensive punch in their lineup and the slugger that many people are saying would be a perfect fit for them might not be so perfect when looking at the financials.
Middletown, Ohio’s Kyle Schwarber – a free agent coming off a 56-home run season for the Phillies and one of MLB’s best left-handed power hitters – would certainly help Cincinnati produce more runs. He has also expressed a desire to one day play for his hometown team.
Schwarber, who turns 33 in March, led the National League in homers and the Majors with 132 RBIs and was fifth with a .928 OPS. But considering that he’s one of the top free agents on the market, the likely annual salary would probably eat up more than a quarter of the Reds’ expected payroll. And the club still has to account for the raises of 11 of their own players via arbitration while also filling multiple holes left by departed free agents.
The Reds were ranked 21st in home runs and 19th in OPS last season, despite playing home games at cozy Great American Ball Park. The club’s homer leader was Elly De La Cruz, with only 22.
The best avenue to find the hitter, or hitters, the Reds need could come via trades. But there are other free agents out there that could potentially fit their budget.
Remember, Cincinnati just needs someone to offer better protection behind De La Cruz. It doesn’t have to be a 50-homer slugger.
With that in mind as the Reds and 29 other teams prepare to arrive at the Winter Meetings on Sunday in Orlando, here are some names that could potentially fit the Reds – some better than others.
At 32 years old, O’Hearn is coming off the best offensive season of his career. His 17 homers, 63 RBIs and 2.4 b-WAR combined in 2025 for the Orioles and Padres were all career highs and he was a first-time All-Star. A left-handed hitter, he overcame his struggles vs. lefty pitchers to get past platooning. His OPS vs. lefties (.832) was better last season than it was against right-handers (.795). O’Hearn is also strong defensively at first base but that’s also a position where the Reds have depth with Spencer Steer or Sal Stewart.
Mullins, 31, is a superb center fielder, which means the Reds would have to figure out where to put TJ Friedl. But the lefty hitter is a long way removed from his 2021 All-Star season, when he hit 30 homers for the Orioles. In a 2025 split between Baltimore and the Mets, Mullins’ numbers bottomed out while hitting .216 with a .690 OPS and 17 homers in 133 games.
Andujar was a Trade Deadline pickup by the Reds from the Athletics and he delivered the numbers despite missing some time down the stretch with a nagging quadriceps injury. He batted .359/.400/.544 with four homers in 34 games for Cincinnati. His .389 average against lefty pitching overall last season was the best in the Majors among hitters with 90 or more at-bats. While he wouldn’t solve their desire for improved defense, having him hit behind De La Cruz for a full season could be just what they need.
Turning 33 in March, the right-handed hitting Hoskins hasn’t been as productive since missing all of 2023 with a knee injury. He hit 12 homers in 90 games for the Brewers last season while missing two months with a left thumb injury. While Hoskins strikes out a lot, he also excels at getting on base and had a .748 OPS in ’25. At issue here is a lack of defense. His best fit would be as a designated hitter, but he has a reputation for being an excellent clubhouse presence.
Much like Schwarber, this probably won’t fit financially either based on the free agent salary projections and the Reds’ payroll, which will be similar to what they had in 2025. But if the Reds could somehow find a way to make the dollars fit, this would most certainly solve the power issue. Alonso is a five-time All-Star – all with the Mets – and slugged 38 homers with 126 RBIs while batting .272 with an .871 OPS last season. He turns 31 in a few days and his right-handed bat would certainly have no issue clearing the fences at GABP.
