Although they lost in the first elimination round to the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, the Cincinnati Reds took a step in the right direction last year.
Now, however, they need to take it to the next level, and one player in particular is on their radar. Numerous sources claim that the Reds are showing serious interest in Kyle Schwarber, and almost as many reports indicate that the interest is mutual.
There’s no smoke without fire. And the fact that Schwarbomb would be a perfect fit in Ohio won’t fan the embers.
Why would anyone say that?
First of all, Schwarber hails from Middletown, Ohio. His family is still there, and he has expressed a desire to one day play for the team he grew up supporting. The Reds are therefore the only team capable of using this leverage to obtain the services of the choice hitter.
What’s more, the left-hander’s swing is perfectly suited to Great American Ball Park, not to mention the fact that he would bring an important presence to this young locker room.
Not to mention that Cincinnati is also in dire need of the offensive side of the ball after ranking 21st in long balls and 19th in OPS last campaign. The team struggled to play situational baseball, especially late in the game and in extra innings.
For his part, Schwarber hit as many home runs as Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer and Tyler Stephenson combined. He cannoned four more bombs last year than any member of the Reds has ever hit in a single season.
Having Schwarber behind De La Cruz in the offensive role could potentially scare opposing pitchers a lot more than it has in the past, and would certainly improve the latter’s batting stats.
It remains to be seen whether the Reds will dig deep enough into their pockets to get their hands on him.
This content was created with the help of AI.