Reds could find their ideal outfield addition at a price they can't refuse

“We haven’t signed mid-tier Major League free agents well from the position player group. We’ve missed on several guys over the last few years who haven’t panned out to where we wanted to get to," Cincinnati Reds team president Nick Krall said after the season.

That would imply that Krall and Co. will look to improve in that area this offseason, and Ohio-native Taylor Ward could help to do just that. Though he's coming off a rather disappointing performance in 2026, Ward fits the type of player the Reds should be looking to add this winter.

Mariners outfielder Taylor Ward would be a great fit for the Reds in 2027

Ward was traded from the Los Angeles Angels to the Baltimore Orioles before the start of the 2026 season. He was then moved once again and joined the Seattle Mariners at the trade deadline. Altogether, he hit just .225/.359/.359 and only mustered seven home runs after blasting 36 round-trippers in 2025.

Despite some of the worst numbers of his career, Ward was still a disciplined hitter last season, as evidenced by his 16.3% walk rate and a 14.9% chase rate — both of which were among the top-1% of all Major League hitters in 2026. He also improved his strikeout rate and whiff rates last season.

The Reds are aiming to have a more disciplined approach at the plate in 2027. Cincinnati swung wildly last season and it resulted in the team ranking dead last in both batting average and strikeout rate. Ward's never been one to post a high batting average, but he constantly puts the ball in play, and has plenty of pop to send it out of the stadium.

Ward is also a right-handed hitting outfielder; something the Reds desperately need heading into next season. Cincinnati's outfield is left-hand hitting dominant — Héctor Rodríguez, JJ Bleday, Carlos Jorge — and Noelvi Marte has reverse splits. For his career, Ward has handled lefties to the tune of .270/.354/.444 with a 124 wRC+. Pairing him alongside Rodríguez or Bleday would give Cincinnati a nice platoon option next season.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently linked Ward to the Reds as an offseason "fit" and projected he could earn a one-year, $10 million deal in free agency. That feels a little steep, and perhaps a desire to play in front of his hometown fans might help Cincinnati negotiate a slight discount.

Ward was a popular trade target in many Reds' circles for the past couple of years, and now that he's a free agent, the fit seems too good to pass up.

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