Reds could target forgotten Orioles infielder made available by their own mistake

The Cincinnati Reds need to add some punch to their lineup, while also ensuring that Ke'Bryan Hayes does not enter 2027 as the starting third baseman. The thing is, those two don't have to be mutually exclusive.

In fact, with the Reds other needs, namely a starting pitcher (or two), several bullpen arms, a catcher, and a platoon partner for Hector Rodriguez, killing two birds with one stone makes a lot of sense. The team won't have a ton of financial resources at it's disposal, so filling all these holes will be difficult. Still, third base and righty pop are two needs that should be atop Nick Krall's shopping list.

Depending on whether you're optimistic or pessimistic by nature, Cincinnati actually created a scenario where they can swipe a high-end third base option with a buy-low price. That's because they can target Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg, who got Wally Pipp'd by Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

After giving Encarnacion-Strand up for essentially nothing, the powerful former top prospect blossomed in Baltimore. Over 58 games, the right-handed slugger hit .277/.325/.513 with 11 dingers. An .838 OPS would've looked real nice at the hot corner in Cincy this past season, but alas, we'll never know if it was truly just needing a change of scenery that unlocked him.

That brings us to Westburg, a player with a career .264/.312/.456 line. The 27-year-old topped out at No. 5 in a loaded Orioles system in 2023 and was the 74th-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline's top 100 list. Big-time power and the athleticism to play a solid third base are both tentpoles of his profile, which would finally give the Reds a player who isn't just offense-only or defense-only at the hot corner.

The Reds trading for Jordan Westburg would be cheap, but comes with one big drawback

Westburg would come cheap, which sounds strange given his level of production and prospect pedigree, but there's a very big reason why he's a buy-low candidate. The Mississippi State product has dealt with a ton of injuries so far during his young career.

Westburg debuted in 2023, but missed time due to a hand injury. In 2024, he missed swaths of time due to hip discomfort and a fractured right hand. 2025 saw him deal with a litany of injuries, starting with a sore back in spring training, followed by a hamstring strain, finger sprain, and finally a sprained ankle.

This year he suffered an oblique strain in spring training and then, while working back from that injury, tore his UCL. He underwent Tommy John surgery and did not play at all in 2026.

Westburg's career high in games played during a single season is just 107, and that's the only time he's topped the 100-game plateau since arriving in the majors. The good news is that most of these are freak things and not chronic injuries, but when the number is so great, it makes you question a player's durability all the same.

This is where the Reds stand, though. They're unable to afford top-of-market talent, so they have to sift through the sorts of players who have warts. The good news, if they are able to land Westburg, is that this is a very good player with the potential to be even more. If he can stay healthy, he could wind up being a real steal.

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