Reds could make one major position change to boost their offense in 2027

One of the biggest tasks facing Nick Krall and the Cincinnati Reds this offseason is finding a way to ensure Ke'Bryan Hayes is not the club's starting third baseman in 2027. Hayes' defense is superb, but his bat fell off to a level that has him entering the franchise record books for all the wrong reasons.

While upgrading from a player who hits like a pitcher shouldn't seem hard, the Reds are ideally adding a positive player here, and not just finding someone to handle the hot corner who isn't historically inept with the bat. There are a couple of problems with that.

First, the free-agent class of third baseman lacks both high end talent and depth. Outside of possibly seeing Bo Bichette opt out, the best option is likely Eugenio Suarez. We wouldn't complain about bringing Geno back into the fold, but his days playing the field everyday are behind him, especially on a club that's trying to fix it's ghastly defensive issues like Cincinnati.

The trade market might be a pathway forward, but then again, there are roadblocks. The Reds' bottom-ranked farm system will make it hard to find a match that allows them to acquire a cost-controlled impact third baseman, and that issue is compounded by the fact that the majority of Cincy's most attractive prospects are in the low minors and therefore seen as more volatile.

It's a conundrum, but only if you ignore the solution staring the team in the face: move Sal Stewart back across the diamond.

Moving Sal Stewart to third base is the best way for the Reds to maximize their roster this offseason

The NL Rookie of the Year favorite was primarily a third baseman during his minor league journey, and while he primarily played first base this season, he still logged 45 games (33 starts) at third. During that time, he was a neutral defender, posting zero defensive runs saved and outs above average in 306⅔ innings manning the hot corner.

Average defense plus a 30-homer bat at the position is significantly better than a Gold Glover whose wRC+ threatens single digits like Hayes, so the upgrade there would be massive. Of course, it would also just open up a new hole.

The Reds would then need a new first baseman, but there's good news on that front. There aren't any true stars on the first-base free-agent list, either, but the pool of available players is a good amount deeper than the third-base crew.

The cream of the crop is probably Jake Bauers, whose 26 homers and 143 wRC+ look impressive, but are also far beyond his career norms to the point that he might not get the money that some expect. The same holds true for Padres first baseman Ty France, who had a career year and is also a solid glove man.

Another option could be reuniting with Nathaniel Lowe, who has struggled with Cleveland but has proved that he can hit in Great American Ball Park. Then there are buy-low candidates like Rhys Hoskins, who could be a cheap source of power.

The bottom line is that it will be harder to find a third baseman than it is to find a first baseman, and since the Reds already have a pretty darn good natural third baseman on the roster, it makes sense to embrace simplicity and plug Stewart into the hot corner and then take advantage of a deeper talent pool across the diamond.

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