Reds Should Target Alec Bohm Over Jazz Chisholm This Offseason

This is a key offseason for the Cincinnati Reds, and activity is likely in the free-agent market, especially in the infield. 

Matt McLain and Ke’Bryan Hayes, two players expected to be everyday Reds for the foreseeable future, have been major disappointments. Given how their lineup shakes out, and with Sal Stewart able to play first base, third base, or slide in at designated hitter, targeting a second baseman or third baseman is expected.

MLB.com national insider Mark Feinsand has recently linked the Cincinnati Reds with impending free agents Alec Bohm and Jazz Chisholm. 

Bohm has been excellent for the Phillies over the past seven seasons, hitting .273 with 85 home runs and 483 runs batted in. Bohm can also play first and third base, similarly to Stewart, but will mainly plug in at third base. 

He was a first round pick in 2018, as the third overall pick by the Phillies out of Wichita State. He debuted in 2020 and hit .338 in 44 games with four home runs. His propensity to value contact over power, averaging 15 home runs a year, could be what the Reds are looking for. 

He hit just .249 with 15 home runs in 2026, so the Reds could get him on a relatively affordable deal despite the fact he still has a lot left in the tank at the age of 30. He fits the mold of a mid-tier veteran free agent that Reds owner Nick Krall says Cincinnati needs to get better at hitting on. 

Chisholm, on the other hand, plays second base with a past of playing center field, which could incentivize signing him based on Terry Francona’s tendency to get creative with lineups. 

He spent the last two and a half seasons with the Yankees after being traded from the Miami Marlins in 2024. 2026 was his worst offensive season in a year in which he played at least 50 games after he hit .231 with 19 home runs in 137 games with 55 runs batted in. He has two seasons of 20+ home runs, hitting 31 bombs and stealing 31 bases for the Yankees in 2025. 

In my opinion, Alec Bohm makes more sense for the Reds in 2027 to complement Sal Stewart and Elly De La Cruz. Chisholm has been trending downward from a contact perspective for three straight seasons, but he would definitely put more butts in seats than Bohm would. Bohm would also likely be considerably cheaper than Chisholm.

Ultimately, either player would be a good signing with Jazz Chisholm having a little bit of a higher ceiling and lower floor compared to Bohm.