The Cincinnati Reds are hunting for left-handed pop in free agency, and while Kyle Schwarber sits atop their wish list, they’re not putting all their eggs in one basket.
That’s where Mike Yastrzemski comes in.
The 35-year-old outfielder just wrapped up seven solid seasons in the majors, spending most of that time with the San Francisco Giants before getting dealt to Kansas City at the deadline. Now he’s available, and the Reds should be paying attention.
Yastrzemski isn’t flashy, but he’s been remarkably consistent. Since breaking into the league in 2019, he’s posted at least 1.5 WAR every single season. His OPS has dipped below .700 just once – a .697 mark in 2022 that barely missed the threshold.
What makes this interesting is the track record. Yastrzemski’s basically guaranteed you a .750-ish OPS and somewhere between 1.5-2 WAR annually. That’s not exciting, but it’s exactly the kind of reliable production teams build around.
MLB.com highlighted Yastrzemski as a free agent who could outperform expectations, pointing to his durability and consistency:
Yastrzemski has been a reliably solid outfielder for seven straight seasons in the Majors. Since debuting in 2019, Yastrzemski has been worth at least 1.5 WAR in every season and has only dipped below a .700 OPS once (.697 OPS in 2022). Other than posting a .968 OPS and 1.9 WAR in 54 games in the shortened 2020 season, Yastrzemski has been a good bet for a .750-ish OPS and 1.5-2 WAR every year.
The left-handed hitter owns a career .809 OPS against righties, though he’s struggled mightily against lefties (.648 career OPS). That makes him ideal for the strong side of a platoon.
Cincinnati’s been looking for consistent offensive production, and Yastrzemski delivers exactly that. He’s appeared in at least 106 games every full season, including 140-plus games in each of the last two years. At 35, there’s probably not much upside left, but there’s something to be said for knowing exactly what you’re getting.
If the Reds miss out on Schwarber – and plenty of teams are circling that situation – Yastrzemski represents a solid fallback option. Plus, adding the Yastrzemski name to Cincinnati’s roster wouldn’t hurt from a marketing standpoint either.
The grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski might not carry the same star power as other free agents, but he’s the kind of steady contributor that helps teams win games in October.
