The murky plan for the Cincinnati Reds infield has become much, much clearer.
When the Cincinnati Reds signed infielder Jeimer Candelario earlier in the winter despite their already jam-packed infield, the questions about why were nearly endless.
Soon, though, we learned that Spencer Steer – an infielder by trade – was likely set for even more time in the outfield, as he’d shown at least a little bit of ability to play there during his 2023 rookie season. Still, it seemed there was just something a little off about how clogged the team’s dirt-minders would be, something I touched on earlier this week while searching for a role for Jonathan India on the squad.
Today, we got news that Noelvi Marte had tested positive for Boldenone earlier in the offseason, and the murky nature of who plays where became much, much clearer for the first half of 2024. That’s because Marte received an 80-game suspension to begin the season, and the Reds infield logjam now looks like it’s got a little more wiggle room.
The Reds, among many others, reported the news on Friday.
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) March 8, 2024
How early in the winter the team knew of the positive test remains to be seen, but seeing as these things are almost always appealed before being confirmed, it’s safe to say they’ve likely been aware of it for quite some time. That the club opted to bring in veterans like Josha Harrison and Tony Kemp as potential infield complements suggests that they were already prepping to not have Marte, a likely Rookie of the Year candidate after his short cameo of excellence at the big league level last year.
As things stand now, the Reds are more likely than not going to lean on an infield mix of Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Candelario, Matt McLain, and Elly De La Cruz, while Jonathan India – who is slated to make his Cactus League debut today after recovering from another bout of plantar fasciitis – will mix in somehow, too. Steer, of course, could very well play on the dirt more often than we’d considered weeks ago, too.
Still, it’s a blow to what had been, on paper, a tremendous amount of depth within the organization.