Cincinnati Reds should take a flier on this Brewers slugger to power their lineup

Last year, the Cincinnati Reds finished with a 77-85 record, placing them fourth in a rather weak NL Central division and 12 games out of the NL Wild Card hunt. On the heels of that disappointment, the Reds have decided to take a more aggressive approach, as president of baseball operations Nick Krall brought in Terry Francona to take the helm of a struggling team then made a series of moves trading for Brady Singer, Jose Trevino and Gavin Lux.

But while there are some clear improvements on their way to Cincy, they all come with caveats. Trevino only has one year left on his contract. Both Singer and Lux have two. In addition, Krall traded a key veteran in second baseman Jonathan India, who led the team (and every second baseman not named Ketel Marte) in on-base percentage last season. These short-term improvements would indicate the Reds are a win-now team. But are they even ready to contend?

Two areas where the Reds need to improve are at first base and DH. As a whole, the Reds posted a .224 average with a meager .269 OBP and 18 home runs at first. The DH slot was even worse with a .203 average, .264 on-base percentage and 16 home runs. If the Reds are going to contend soon, they will likely need to make a change to at least one of those positions.

Last season, the Reds didn’t have a dedicated DH. This was a clear part of the problem. While they may have some options, there might not be a better option than what a division rival is potentially selling.

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The Brewers may be looking to shop Rhys Hoskins

In December, reports surfaced that the Brewers were looking to shop slugging first baseman Rhys Hoskins. Hoskins is set to earn $18 million in 2025 and comes with a mutual option for 2026 at the same price. Hoskins surprised Milwaukee by opting into his contract when the Brewers had other plans for that money, and if that feeling among Milwaukee management still holds, a Hoskins trade could be the next thing brewing for the Brew Crew.

The venerable slugger is coming off a down year, slashing .214/.303/.419/.722 with 26 home runs in an injury-shortened season. But if there is one thing that still shines about his performance, it would be the 26 home runs he hit in 449 at-bats. In Cincinnati, the ballpark dimensions would work mildly better for Hoskins as Baseball Savant estimates he would have hit 28. Even so, Hoskins’ 26 home runs would have topped the rest of the Reds, with Elly De La Cruz coming in second hitting 25.

However, acquiring Hoskins comes with some risk. He's no stranger to the IL: He missed the entire 2023 season with a torn ACL and has been plagued with injuries his entire career. Making matters more complicated is his contract. Milwaukee may pay some of Hoskins’ deal down to shop him, but it still may be too much Cincinnati to take on especially given the risk.

Still, if he can recover his old numbers, he could be the much-needed boost the Reds need. He still draws plenty of walks and barrels the ball at a high rate which is good news. If last year’s slump was just a result of his injuries, we might see vintage Hoskins again this year.