Reds should target homegrown slugger (not named Kyle Schwarber) this offseason

The rumors connecting Kyle Schwarber to the Cincinnati Reds aren't going away any time soon, but as much as fans can dream, the fit isn't there. Schwarber simply won't fit in the Reds' budget unless ownership does a massive about-face, and even then, the likely draft pick compensation that will be attached to him, as well as his DH-only positional abilities, make him a questionable fit at best.

Instead, another Ohio native, who is actually a picture-perfect fit might hit the trade block in the form of Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward.

Taylor Ward is a great fit for the Reds and a trade mostly makes sense

What the Reds need more than anything is a power bat. The club ranked 21st in homers (167) and slugging (.391), and with Austin Hays hitting free agency, left field is natural opening. Ward is a left fielder by trade and crushed 36 long balls with a .475 slug in 2025, making him look like a dream.

In some ways, 2025 was an outlier for Ward. The 36 homers shattered his previous career high of 25. With that came a .228 batting average, which was his worst mark in a full season in his career. Therefore, even if Ward's power regresses somewhat (though one would believe Great American Ball Park could offset any regression), it would likely come with his average bouncing back to his career norm of .247.

Defensively, Ward is roughly average to slightly below, with 0 outs above average and -3 defensive runs saved, meaning he can get by and at least play acceptable defense, which is something Terry Francona holds dear.

Contractually, Ward fits the budget as well. The 31-year-old is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to get $13.7 million in his final year of arbitration, but it should be noted that he agreed to terms with the Angels last winter for $7.825 million, which was below what he was projected to make if he had gone to a hearing.

Either way, he'll be affordable for a year, and given that he'll be preparing for his age-33 season when he hits free agency, he should be relatively cost-effective to retain if the Reds would like to keep him around beyond 2026.

On paper, the Angels should be willing to move Ward. However, there are three types of teams in the MLB: contenders, rebuilding clubs, and, in a camp by themselves, the Los Angeles Angels. Their moves often defy logic, as their enigmatic owner, Arte Moreno, often meddles in baseball affairs, creating havoc and drawing the ire of his fan base in the process.

Assuming they operate logically, controllable young starting pitching should be their priority after they finished 2025 with a 4.91 ERA from their rotation, a mark that ranked 28th in baseball.

The Reds have that in spades, if you include early arbitration arms like Nick Lodolo, pre-arb guys like the returning injured contingent of Julian Aguiar and Brandon Williamson, as well as some of their prospects in the upper minors.

The Reds wouldn't have to give up their best, but dealing from their depth with a lottery ticket to sweeten the deal should be enough to land Ward and plant a power bat in left that's desperately needed. That is, as long as the Angels act logically.