Hays split time between the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies last season, posting a 101 OPS+ on the season, with a mark of 108 with the Orioles and 86 with the Phillies, according to Baseball Reference. Hays briefly debuted in 2017, and then returned in 2019 with the Orioles, playing just 21 games, and then played 33 games in the 60-game 2020 season. He became a regular with the Orioles in the following three seasons, posting OPS+ marks of 107, 105 and 114 in 2021, 2022 and 2023. For the most part, Hays has been a just-above-league-average bat in his career.

As Hays struggled with the Phillies last season, he was diagnosed with a kidney infection in September, and the tests indicated he was ill for an extended period, according to Rosenthal. There is hope for Hays to rebound in 2025 after recovering, despite being non-tendered by the Phillies.

Now, Hays heads to one of the more friendly parks for offense in MLB, so it will be interesting to see if he finds success at Great American Ball Park in 2025 and enters free agency next season with higher stock than he had this offseason. If that happens, the Reds could challenge atop the National League Central.

The addition of Hays adds to the list of acquisitions for the Reds this offseason. They signed reliever Brent Suter this offseason, and traded infielder Jonathan India in a deal for Brady Singer from the Kansas City Royals. Cincinnati also made trades for catcher Jose Trevino with the New York Yankees and Gavin Lux with the Los Angeles Dodgers. None of these moves are very flashy, but the Reds have improved in certain areas. The hope is for hitters like Hays and Lux to find success in a friendly offensive ballpark, and for Trevino to provide the elite framing at catcher that he has provided the Yankees and Texas Rangers in the past.