The Cincinnati Reds had one chance to raise their bid for Kyle Schwarber last offseason, but they didn’t do it.
What would’ve amounted to a homecoming for Schwarber didn’t happen, in part because the Reds’ offer wasn’t large enough. It was reported to top out at $125 million over five years, and the Philadelphia Phillies retained Schwarber for about $5 million more per year.
The Reds won’t get the chance to go back in time and fix that, but this offseason, there’s one slugger they can sign that could make things feel at least a little better.
No, it’s unlikely any new player the Reds get would be quite up to Schwarber’s caliber. But with the threat of Elly De La Cruz leaving in a few years, Cincinnati can’t rest on its laurels, either. It may be time to pay up for power, and one player could provide it.
Reds in Mix for $124 Million Slugger
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, in a new article on Tuesday, included the Reds as one of the best possible fits for Randy Arozarena.
Arozarena may be the best hitter available on the free agent market, so to see the Reds linked with him is fascinating.
Cincinnati knows, though, that it needs power. Arozarena would bring some thump that the Reds have been lacking.
“Arozarena has hit at least 20 homers and stolen at least 20 bases each of the past six seasons,” Bowden writes. “This year, he posted a career-best slash line of .281/.381/.484 with 34 doubles, 26 homers and 26 stolen bases, while leading the AL with 113 runs scored despite playing for a Mariners team that disappointed offensively. He finished in the 98th percentile in batting run value and 89th percentile in base-running value. His xwOBA was in the 83rd percentile, and his average exit velocity was in the 80th percentile. Arozarena should benefit from the shortage of right-handed power in the sport and could end up the most overpaid free agent this offseason.”
Generally you wouldn’t think the Reds would be involved in a potentially overpaid free agent, but Cincinnati also can’t repeat what happened this season when their biggest power investment was an over-the-hill Eugenio Suarez and they missed the playoffs by miles.
Bowden projects that Arozarena will get $124 million over five years — almost exactly what the Reds offered Schwarber. So they are willing, at least potentially.
Other Randy Arozarena Landing Spots
Bowden lists three other teams as spots for Arozarena to end up.
One is the Seattle Mariners, who Arozarena has been playing for. There’s a chance Seattle would bring him back.
The other two are NL East powers Philadelphia and Atlanta. The Phillies and Braves both would love another power bat like Arozarena.
Those won’t be easy teams for the Reds to outdo in free agency, so it’ll be interesting to see how heavily in the mix they truly are.
Reds Have Chance at $125 Million Kyle Schwarber Do-Over, Sort Of