The Cincinnati Reds have an offseason problem that’s impossible to ignore: the offense was one of the worst in Major League Baseball, and the outfield is a clear place to start patching it up. One name that keeps coming back into the conversation is Taylor Ward.
Clay Snowden of JustBaseball.com called the Reds “far and away the best fit” for Ward, and the case starts with affordability as much as upside. Ward is projected to land a short-term deal this offseason, likely one or two years at an average annual value of around $7 million or more. For a club trying to improve without overspending, that kind of price tag matters.
Ward’s profile is a little tricky, though. He took a step back in power last season, but there were still signs that his overall approach moved in the right direction.
In 2025, he hit 36 home runs with a .475 slugging percentage and 103 RBI. In 2026, that power dipped hard: a .311 slugging percentage, seven home runs, and 37 RBI.
What changed was his plate approach. Ward swung less, struck out less, and walked more in 2026.
That could have been a deliberate shift toward plate discipline, much like Elly De La Cruz experimenting with a toe-tap approach during the 2025 season. The power history is still there, too.
From 2022 through 2025, Ward hit 20 or more home runs in every season except one, and he still managed 14 in 97 games in 2023.
There is, however, one number that stands out as a warning sign: his average exit velocity. It fell from 90 miles per hour in 2025 to 88.7 in 2026, the first time since the 2021 season that it dipped below 90 miles per hour.
If the Reds believe that power can come back, Ward could be a smart swing. He’d have a chance to hit 15-25 home runs in a lineup behind De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, and JJ Bleday, and Great American Ballpark could help if his exit velocity returns to where it has been for most of his career.
Snowden also noted that there aren’t many outfield free agents in the Reds’ price range who could make the kind of impact Ward might. He listed Randy Arozarena, Dalton Varsho, Trent Grisham, Luis Robert Jr., Ian Happ, and Seiya Suzuki among other outfield options with similar or better upside.
And Cincinnati may not be done at just one addition. The outfield is not a strength heading into 2027, and the current depth chart includes JJ Bleday, Hector Rodriguez, Spencer Steer, Carlos Jorge, and Dane Myers. Bringing in one or two free-agent outfielders would also buy more time for Jorge in Triple-A and ease the pressure on his long-term development.
For Nick Krall and the Reds, the message is simple: explore every option. After finishing last in the NL Central for the first time since 2018, following a postseason trip in 2025, the club’s window with Terry Francona as manager and with De La Cruz is shrinking. The offense needs fixing, and the Reds need to be aggressive about it.
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