Reds' 2024 struggles against lefties makes signing this free agent a no-brainer

Amidst a busy winter, the Cincinnati Reds are surely looking to make one more drastic move ahead of the 2025 season. There's plenty to consider for Cincinnati, but they've begun to close the gaps in certain areas already.

The pitching staff is improving following a trade for Brady Singer, and Nick Martinez accepting his qualifying offer certainly helped as well. The coaching staff is moving in the right direction after adding Terry Francona and Mike Napoli, so Reds fans have to feel some sort of approval towards Nick Krall's offseason antics, right?

But one more thing that the Reds need to do is add a hitter who can hold their own against left-handed hurlers. The Reds batted .226 collectively against southpaws in 2024 — a suboptimal mark for a lineup that plays in a hitter-friendly stadium. Jonathan India was a standout against lefties, hitting .277 against them with an .815 OPS last season. However, with India gone, Cincinnati needs to take a serious look at a cheaper option to fill that gap.

Reds' 2024 struggles against lefties makes signing this free agent a no-brainer

Tyler O'Neill might just be the perfect fit for the Reds next season. In his first year outside of St. Louis, O'Neill crushed 31 home runs for the Boston Red Sox behind a .511 slugging percentage. The two-time Gold Glover was unbelievable against left-handed pitching in 2024, smashing 16 home runs 156 plate appearances. No current Reds player comes close to O'Neill's output against left-handers.

O'Neill's line was one of the best in baseball against lefties, hitting .313 with an OPS over 1.100. The Reds already have an exciting lineup, backed by Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer, but placing O'Neill in the middle of the order somewhere is going to make this unit pop even more.

Several teams seem interested in acquiring the Canadian outfielder. He won't cost as much as the likes of Teoscar Hernandez and Anthony Santander, and O'Neill is guaranteed to offer consistent power. For a team like the Reds that embarrassingly struggled against left-handers, he would be Mr. Right for this team.

Plus, it's always fun for an NL Central team, specifically the Reds, to find some success in a former Cardinal. We're looking at you, Scott Rolen and Ryan Ludwick. If signed, would also become the third O'Neill to play for the Cardinals, then the Reds, joining Tip O'Neill and Mike O'Neill from the late 1890s-early 1900s. Who knows, it might just be Tyler O'Neill's fate.

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