The Cincinnati Reds snuck into the postseason as the third and final NL Wild Card team in 2025 and were promptly dispatched by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
To do more in 2026, the Reds could really use some additional thump in their lineup.
On Tuesday, ESPN's Jeff Passan suggested a couple of options: Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso.
Schwarber is the obvious one in terms of links. He grew up less than an hour from Cincinnati.
The lefty slugger is coming off a 56-homer season for the Philadelphia Phillies, for whom he hit 187 home runs across four campaigns before reaching free agency.
Schwarber will have many suitors despite being DH-only at this point.
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Alonso, the New York Mets' all-time leader in home runs, will also have a lot of teams after him, either to play first or to DH. A team that misses Schwarber may go for Alonso, or vice versa.
Passan writes that Alonso would "bring Cincinnati the big bat it desperately needs."
Both of these players will likely sign contracts for $100 million or more in total value. Some teams won't love the idea of paying guys that are essentially bat-only players that much money, but it's what the market will dictate.
If the Reds want to take a step forward, they could use a slugger.
Schwarber and Alonso are two of the best out there. Cincinnati has to do more than just throw its hat in the ring. It has to get a deal done.
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