Jim Bowden's buffoonish free agent match reveals exactly why Reds showed him the door

Former Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals GM Jim Bowden now moonlights as a contributor for The Athletic. Bowden obviously still has some contacts throughout Major League Baseball, and on occasion drums up some mildly intriguing content. But Bowden's latest column at The Athletic (subscription required) reveals exactly why the Reds fired him back in 2003.

With the MLB Winter Meetings just around the corner, Bowden thought it would be a fun exercise to play matchmaker with all 30 major league clubs. His choice for the Reds, however, makes absolutely no sense. Bowden believes the Reds should sign Joc Pederson to a two-year, $26 million contract.

Jim Bowden's buffoonish free agent match reveals exactly why Reds showed him the door

Now, to be fair, Pederson has some very good numbers. Looking at some of the advanced metrics, most Reds fans could understand why Bowden believes Pederson could be a match for Cincinnati. The 32-year-old posted a .908 OPS during his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024 and launched 23 homers while also reaching base nearly 40% of the time.

But Pederson is a left-handed platoon bat. The slugger made just 42 plate appearances versus southpaws in 2024 and hit just .219. Pederson's OPS dropped nearly 175 points when facing a left-handed pitcher. He's unplayable against lefties. Furthermore, Pederson is limited defensively.

While Bowden would have you believe that Pederson can play one of the corner outfield spots on occasion, he didn't log a single inning in the field last season. The last time Pederson spent meaningful time in the outfield he was worth -11 outs above average (OAA) during the 2022 season with the San Francisco Giants. The California native is also among the slowest players in the league — not something you want on a team built for speed.

Pederson is a DH only. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, but the Reds have plenty of players who can take those reps already without being pigeonholed into a one-dimensional role. The Reds have Spencer Steer, Jeimer Candelario, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Jake Fraley, and Will Benson; all of whom could and should log time at DH next season (and for much less than Bowden's proposed $13 million AAV).

If the Reds are actually going to spend money on a hitter, he needs to be able to field his position. Whether that's third base or the outfield is irrelevant, but the Reds cannot just sign another bat-only player whose sole job is to swing the lumber. It's the same reason Cincinnati should be wary of trading for a player like Brent Rooker.

Thankfully, for the Reds, Bowden is calling the shots anymore. But while Cincinnati's top decision-maker, Nick Krall, shouldn't follow Bowden's advice, he still has some work to do this offseason.

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