The San Diego Padres picked up Ryan O’Hearn at the trade deadline from Baltimore, hoping he’d give them that steady, above-average production they needed. It didn’t quite work out that way, though his numbers weren’t exactly terrible either.
In 50 games with San Diego, O’Hearn still managed a respectable 105 OPS+. But here’s where it gets interesting – he only collected 10 extra-base hits after the trade, a steep drop from the 28 he racked up in the first half with the Orioles.
Still, the guy was an All-Star in 2024 at age 31. Someone’s going to pay the 32-year-old to be their everyday first baseman.
Cincinnati Makes Sense
Will Laws from Sports Illustrated thinks the Cincinnati Reds could be that team. His take? O’Hearn was “a feel-good breakout hitter in his age-31 season” who “absolutely raked for the Orioles in the first half before returning to his career norm upon being traded to the Padres.”
“That is, a slightly above-average hitter at first base. There’s a good chance 2024 will be the only year he ever makes it to the All-Star Game, and a true World Series contender will likely want more from his position. But the lefty’s bat-to-ball skill and commendable defense at least gives him a high production floor.”
Laws makes a fair point about contenders wanting more production from first base. But for a team like Cincinnati that’s still building? O’Hearn could be exactly what they need.
The ballpark factor here is huge. Great American Ball Park plays small, and O’Hearn’s got enough pop to take advantage of those dimensions.
He’s never been a true power hitter, but give him 500-plus plate appearances in Cincinnati and 25 homers isn’t out of the question. For a Reds team that needs reliable production and veteran leadership, O’Hearn represents solid value in what should be a reasonable price range.
