With Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber already off the market, the pool of true power bats is quickly drying up. Sure, there are still big names available-Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette-but let’s be real: none of those guys are pure power hitters, and more importantly, none of them fit within the Reds’ financial wheelhouse.
That brings us to two more realistic names for Cincinnati: Ryan O’Hearn and Eugenio Suárez. Both are mid-tier free agents, both bring some pop, and both are theoretically affordable. But while either one could land in Cincy, only one of them really makes sense-and it’s not the one with outfield experience.
Let’s break it down.
On paper, O’Hearn might seem like the better fit. The Reds’ most pressing need is in the outfield, and O’Hearn has logged innings in both corners.
Suárez, on the other hand, is a career infielder. If he moves off third base, he’s likely headed to first-not exactly solving the Reds’ positional puzzle.
But here’s the twist: Suárez is the better fit, and it has everything to do with the bat.
O’Hearn’s Defensive Limitation and Inconsistent Bat
Yes, O’Hearn has played the outfield-but sparingly. Across his entire career, he’s logged just 733 innings combined in right and left field.
That’s barely more than half a season’s worth of work. And the results haven’t been great: a -3 Outs Above Average mark suggests he’s more of an emergency option out there than a true outfielder.
Think Spencer Steer, not Nick Castellanos.
And while O’Hearn has been floated as a budget version of Kyle Schwarber, the comparison doesn’t really hold up once you dive into the numbers.
In 2023, he finally broke out with the Orioles, posting a 118 wRC+ by crushing the ball-94th percentile in hard-hit rate, 89th percentile in average exit velocity-but he walked just 4.1% of the time. In 2024, he posted the same 118 wRC+, but got there a completely different way. He walked more (9.3%), struck out less (14%), but his power metrics fell off a cliff: hard-hit rate dropped to the 49th percentile, exit velocity to the 59th.
Then came 2025, and the profile shifted yet again. Strikeouts climbed back to 20%, whiff rate worsened, and while he still made decent contact, the squared-up rate was only in the 52nd percentile.
That’s a lot of fluctuation for a guy who’s supposed to bring steady power. When the underlying metrics swing this wildly year to year, it’s hard to trust what you’re getting.
Suárez Brings What the Reds Actually Need: Power
Now let’s talk about Suárez. If there’s one thing he brings to the table, it’s raw, unfiltered power-and that’s exactly what this Reds lineup needs.
Last season, Suárez tied his career high with 49 home runs. And according to Statcast’s expected home run metric (x-HR), he would’ve hit 54 if he played his home games at Great American Ball Park. That’s not a fluke-that’s a tailor-made power bat for one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the league.
Suárez’s batted ball profile backs it up. His pulled air ball rate was 28.6% last year-well above the league average of 16.7%.
O’Hearn, by comparison, sat at just 14.4%, which is significantly below average. Translation: Suárez hits the kind of fly balls that leave the yard in Cincinnati.
O’Hearn? Not so much.
Neither Is a Defensive Ace, But That’s Not the Point
Let’s be clear: neither of these guys is going to win a Gold Glove. But if the Reds were willing to roll with Schwarber as a full-time DH, then there’s no reason they can’t do the same with Suárez. The defense might not be pretty, but the bat more than makes up for it.
And there’s one more wrinkle to consider: keeping Suárez away from the Cubs. Chicago’s reportedly in the mix, and if the Reds can bring Geno back to the Queen City while blocking a division rival from adding a legit power threat? That’s a win-win.
Final Take
Ryan O’Hearn has had flashes, but his year-to-year inconsistency and limited defensive value make him a risky bet. Eugenio Suárez, on the other hand, is a known quantity.
He hits bombs, he fits the park, and he brings a spark this Reds lineup could use. He may not solve the outfield issue, but he solves something even more pressing-the need for a true power bat.
If Cincinnati’s looking to make a smart, impactful move without breaking the bank, bringing Geno home is the way to go.