I did something similar to this a while ago, but it’s worth revisiting now with some new additions to the roster. I know it’s easy to start playing four-dimensional chess with the Cincinnati Reds roster, but the fact of the matter is that guys tend to play where they’ve played before, and though we’ve heard some noise, I haven’t heard any of the broad declarations about moving players around that we’ve seen in past years. So what follows is a depth chart based on the experience of the guys most likely to be coming north.
First of all, barring injury, I think we just about know the position players who will be breaking camp. They are (in order of likelihood):
Elly De La Cruz, Tyler Stephenson, Matt McLain, Austin Hays, Gavin Lux, Jose Trevino, TJ Friedl, Jeimer Candelario, Spencer Steer, Jake Fraley, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Santiago Espinal, and one other outfielder.
Here is how they are likely to be deployed in depth chart form.
Catcher
- Tyler Stephenson
- Jose Trevino
First Base
- Christian Encarnacion-Strand
- Spencer Steer
Second Base
- Matt McLain
- Gavin Lux
Shortstop
- Elly De La Cruz
- Matt McLain
- Santiago Espinal
Third Base
- Jeimer Candelario
- Santiago Espinal
Left Field
- Gavin Lux
- Spencer Steer or Fairchild (see note)
- Austin Hays
Center Field
- TJ Friedl
- Austin Hays
Right Field
- Austin Hays
- Jake Fraley
Designated Hitter
- Spencer Steer
- Jeimer Candelario
- Christian Encarnacion-Strand
Some things of note:
- I don’t buy for a second that Gavin Lux is gonna see time at third. Mayyyyyyybe McLain. Maybe. But Lux famously has a noodle arm, so it’s second base and left field for him.
- Hays being acquired makes Jake Fraley a bench player.
- Spencer Steer is probably an infielder most of the time now.
- There is a lot of talk about Christian Encarnacion-Strand getting pushed out. I don’t see that right now. If he was, in fact, hurt while playing last year, then he’s the obvious first baseman.
- There are some platoons here. The Reds could choose to just do a straight platoon of Lux and Fairchild or they could make it more interesting with Lux and Steer sharing left, Candelario and Espinal sharing third, and Steer and Candelario sharing the designated hitter role. In this scenario, Espinal starts against lefties, Lux against righties, and the other two move around as needed.
- Unless Candelario goes off to start the season, the third base job will be there for Noelvi Marte if he shows up in Louisville ready to take it.
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