Reds lack of power suddenly makes this risky DFA bat hard to ignore

The Cincinnati Reds lineup is lacking power, and it just so happens that one of the loudest bats in baseball is now a free agent. Jhonkensy Noel, who's affectionately referred to as Big Christmas, was just designated for assignment by the Baltimore Orioles after spending the bulk of his career in the Cleveland Guardians' organization.

Noel has otherworldly power, but there are a lot of problems that come with his profile — the biggest being his 49% chase rate. He does, however, represent an inexpensive right-handed hitting power bat, and it wouldn't be shocking to see the Reds submit a waiver claim.

Noel has the type of power that most GMs can only dream of. The slugger made a name for himself during Game 3 of the 2024 American League Championship Series. While playing for the Guardians, Noel smacked a no-doubt, game-tying home run in the bottom ninth inning against the New York Yankees that sent the game into extra innings. The Guardians walked it off in the 10th thanks to a two-run shot off the bat of David Fry.

Reds lack of power makes Jhonkensy Noel oddly tempting

Unfortunately, that's about where Noel's highlight reel stops. He has 19 total home runs through his first two big-league seasons and a collective .643 OPS. But the swing and miss is very real, and given the Reds' lack of patience with Rece Hinds — a player with similar tools — adding Noel doesn't seem to be the best fit.

Reds fans have seen this type of power before. Back in 2019, Aristides Aquino took Reds Country by storm and looked like the second coming of Eric Davis — he even wore No. 44. But after a scorching-hot month of August that season, Aquino fell on hard times. After yo-yo'ing back and forth between Triple-A and the big leagues, Cincinnati finally DFA'd Aquino after the 2022 season.

But given the Reds' financial constraints this offseason, and Noel's pre-arb status, it wouldn't be surprising to see Nick Krall and the front office take a flier on such a high-risk/ high-reward bat.

Noel's track record in the minors is hard to ignore. Since 2018, he owns a .490 slugging percentage, .825 OPS, 117 wRC+ and 124 home runs. For a team like the Reds who are starved for power, the temptation to give him a shot this spring might be too difficult to pass up.