The infield is a big reason for Reds’ disappointing 2024 season. It is considered the strength of the club to enter spring training, when Matt McLean Shoulder injury, Noelvi Marte Hit by PED suspension. By the end of the camp, the Reds need to trade private companies San Diego Espinal Backfill depth.
Last season, the Cincinnati infielder ranked 20th in the park’s adjusted offense. Despite the superstar in shortstop performances. Elly de la Cruz. Their .236/.303/.384 slashes from the other three infield spots are ranked fifth from the bottom by WRC+ measurement. Only the White Sox, Pirates, Rockies and Angels get less from these positions.
McLean is back and will be the second baseman every day, Cincinnati ensures Jonathan India/Brady Singer Swap at the beginning of the offseason. De La Cruz is obviously locked in shortstop. The corner infield is larger in the air. sign Austin Hays In theory, new manager Terry Francona brings Spencer Steer Back to his main first baseman. The decision may depend on who is playing the popular corner, which is arguably a key issue for the Reds to sort out this spring.
Jeimer Candelario A year ago, this time was the unquestionable starter. Cincinnati signed RPM ink for three years, $45mm in free agent trade. His appearance was shown between the National and the Bear. This is Candelario’s third strong season in the past four years. The Red Army hopes this will continue. Instead, he reached .225/.279/.429 in his first season in Cincinnati. When he connected 20 home runs, his career bias (5.8%) and benchmark percentage. Candelario’s defense rate is also poor, resulting in sub-substitution level performance.
Candelario’s roster is not in danger. His performance may have been affected by knee problems and he played for most of last season. After a season on a three-year contract, the red bait won’t cut the bait, even if he’s just underperformed in good health. That said, if he doesn’t turn things around quickly, they’re unlikely to stick to being regular third basemen.
Probably in Gavin Lux trading. Cincinnati gets its previous highest prospect from the Dodgers’ outfield prospects Mike Sirota and the 41st pick in the upcoming draft. After losing all ACL tear in 2023, Lux played last season with an average slash of 0.251/.320/.383 when it came out of 487 sets last season. The split of the season is dramatic. Lux had a horrible first half in the first half, shooting a fire from the All-Star game and then missed the World Series in Los Angeles. The second half figures may suggest a larger offensive ceiling, but he has made nearly 1,500 sets in his career and is an average hitter (.252/.326/.383).
The average offensive output will be the upgrade provided by Candelario last season. The bigger question is whether Lux can handle third base. He left shortstop because of the exact question. Lux did not start the game anywhere except second base last year. In a 2021 game, he had six professional innings as a third baseman (in which he made two throwing mistakes). He hasn’t started the regular season on the left side of the infield for four years.
Mark Sheldon of MLB.com wrote last week that the Reds intend to move lux around the infield during spring training. He can eventually see time in the outfield, too, although Francona said they will only leave him in the infield at the start of the camp. Lux and Francona each express confidence in their ability to make all the necessary throws, although this is obviously something he needs to continue to prove in the game.
Lux has the minor league choice left, but the Reds won’t give up two decent assets and earned a salary of 3.325mm arbitration if they didn’t expect him to play a key role. He will be on the MLB list. If that wasn’t a regular third baseman, he would bounce back with practical abilities and potentially be a designated hitter. Cincinnati benches are right-handed, so Lux’s left-handed bats can provide balance.
Matt and Christian Enkson The MLB roster is determined to be low. Each of them has a high-profile prospect, especially Marte, whose stock has been shaky in 2024. Marte was banned in the first 80 games of the season after testing Boldenone positive. After he got back to his original state, his second half was terrible. He hit .210/.248/.301 with a strikeout rate of 31% and a 3.7% walk percentage of 242 sets appearances. He needs a huge hone in plate discipline to harness the power that makes him the highest prospect. At the age of 23, he hadn’t finished it, but it was hard to see him win a job with MLB from the camp.
Encarnacion-Strand was impressive in the 2023 half season. He hit 13 home runs with a rookie of .270/.328/.477. This earned him the first base job last year. His season has never really gotten off the ground. Encarnacion-Strand hit .190 with an OBP of 0.220 in 29 games. A fracture in his right hand sent him on the injured list in early May. He tried to recover, but he needed end-of-season surgery six weeks later. Last year it was easy to write as an injury-related anomaly, but in third base, he was an impossible long-term answer. The prospect assessors went out of their way and most used him as a first baseman. Even if he gets back on the offense, he’s likely to see most of his moves or DH first.
The Reds have some other third base options – and at the beginning of the season, they are unlikely to push for the job. Espinal is a glove-first infielder. Over the past two years, his .247/.300/.348 slash points to the role of utility. Cincinnati has chosen Cooper Bowman From A in draft rule 5. He was a second baseman for most of his career, with 53 innings in the popular corners. Even if he insists on using the MLB roster, it will develop capabilities. Steering and After receiving Everyone scored third in the minors but left the position for defensive reasons. prospect Tyler Callihan In the 40-man lineup, there are only four professional and three games.
How will the Reds separate playing time in popular corners this season?
