It’s getting tiresome hearing about the Cincinnati Reds’ budgetary restrictions, but it just can’t be avoided. The lack of financial wiggle room, combined with multiple pressing needs, is going to make accomplishing what the club needs to do in order to build on 2025’s Wild Card berth very difficult.

With that said, there are a few different pathways the club can take. They could walk a tightrope and bring in a big bat like Kyle Schwarber, but that would leave no room to address the bullpen. They could make a play for a depressed asset, like Nick Castellanos, and hope for a bounce-back. The club could also decide to forego a lineup addition altogether, much to the chagrin of the fans.

There is a fourth option, however, but it involves some creativity and a little bit of faith. Instead of taking a risk on a veteran, they could look to take advantage of a promising young player who is blocked in his current situation. A perfect target to fit that bill is Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Joey Loperfido.

The Reds might be wise to make a play for forgotten Blue Jays outfielder Joey Loperfido

The Blue Jays acquired Loperfido from the Houston Astros in the Yusei Kikuchi deal at the 2024 trade deadline. Loperfido, at the time, had worked his way up to No. 6 on Baseball America’s top Astros’ prospects list.

After taking the Los Angeles Dodgers to the brink and ultimately coming up short in the World Series, Toronto is all-in for 2026. Their outfield already consists of Gold Glover Daulton Varsho, the grizzled George Springer, Anthony Santander, Nathan Lukes, and defensive whiz Myles Straw. There are even rumblings of them sniffing around Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger this winter as well.

That doesn’t leave a lot of opportunities for the 26-year-old Loperfido, which could mean the Reds would be able to sneak in and snag him for cheap.

Tools-wise, Loperfido brings a little bit of everything to the table. He’s a lefty-bat with some pop and the ability to hit for average, and he also has speed on the bases and the range to cover center field, though his arm strength makes him a better fit in left. If he can put the pieces together, there’s an above-average two-way player there, which is something Terry Francona would love.

In 2023, Loperfido really showed off those tools, splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A, slashing .278/.370/.510 with 25 homers and 27 steals. The following year, he’d make his big league debut, playing 81 games between Houston and Toronto. He struggled to adapt, however, and posted a meager .614 OPS in that time.

This year, Loperfido got into 41 games, mostly due to injuries in the Blue Jays’ outfield. In that span, he looked much more comfortable, slashing .333/.379/.500 over 104 plate appearances.

Loperfido isn’t a sure thing, but would you rather roll the dice on a 26-year-old former top prospect who is still in his pre-arb years breaking out, or a rebound from a mid-30s veteran like Nick Castellanos who has been on the decline for a while?

The upside, beyond 2026, is that a player like Loperfido could be a long-term building block alongside the likes of Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, Noelvi Marte, and others, while a veteran would come with a much shorter shelf-life. In a world of imperfect options, this might be the Reds’ best path forward.