Unexpected NL Central rival threatens to steal Reds' perfect free agent fit

Despite securing infielder Gavin Lux in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this week, the Cincinnati Reds still have a hole on their roster. Many Reds fans have been clamoring all offseason for Cincinnati to sign a right-handed hitting outfielder, and to date, they've come up empty-handed.

But one of the Reds' chief NL Central rivals appears to be making a play for an outfield solution that would be a perfect fit in Cincinnati's lineup. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Pittsburgh Pirates are considering going after free agent outfielder Randal Grichuk. The Bucs have also been connected to former New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo.

Pirates threaten to steal Randal Grichuk from the Reds

Grichuk would be the perfect fit for this Reds roster. The addition of Lux gives new Reds manager Terry Francona the ability to mix and match his infield based on the pitching matchup. Adding Grichuk would do the exact same for the Reds' outfield.

At the moment, the Reds have approximately six 'everyday' players. Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Spencer Steer, Tyler Stephenson, Jeimer Candelario, and TJ Friedl should be in Cincinnati's starting lineup for almost every game. But the platoon splits of Lux, Jake Fraley, Santiago Espinal, and others reveal that they may be best served seeing the diamond when the pitching matchup is more favorable.

The same holds true of Grichuk, who would be the perfect platoon partner alongside Fraley in right field. With the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, Grichuk hit .319/.386/.528 against southpaws. Combine that with Fraley's career .264/.347/.440 slash line against right-handed pitching, and Cincinnati would have a terrific 1-2 punch in right field.

The free agent market is drying up, and while the Reds haven't been silent this offseason, one more signing or trade that shores up the outfield would put Cincinnati in prime position to contend for the NL Central title in 2025.

The Reds are not going to outspend the big-market ball clubs like the Dodgers and Yankees, but Cincinnati cannot allow themselves to be scooped for Grichuk's services by another small-market spender like the Pirates. It's time for Nick Krall and the Reds to get involved in the negotiations for Grichuk.

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