The question of how the Reds will divide their playing time at third base has loomed large over camp. Some clarity was gained earlier this month when Noelvi Marte was optioned to Triple-A Louisville, but that still left several veterans vying for time at the position. Manager Terry Francona shed some light on the matter this week when he told the team’s beat that Gavin Lux, Jeimer Candelario and Santiago Espinal will all see time at the position (link via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com).
There won’t be a strict platoon, and all three players come with the benefit of being able to handle multiple positions. Lux figures to see some time at second base and in left field. Espinal can play anywhere in the infield. Candelario plays both infield corners. Francona praised Lux, who’s less familiar with the position than his two teammates, in particular and noted that he’s adjusted to the position well. It sounds as though the Reds won’t have a set third baseman or even a set two-man platoon at the hot corner, with pitching matchups and defensive preferences (depending on who the Reds send to the mound that day) all coming into play.
The manner in which playing time at those other spots is divided up naturally hinges on the health of a versatile roster. One key player in that equation is infielder/outfielder Spencer Steer, who’s been sidelined by discomfort in his right shoulder. Steer hasn’t appeared in an official spring game since Feb. 27, though Francona said over the weekend that the 27-year-old had shown “marked improvement” after being shut down for a bit.
Steer is once again swinging a bat, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer, and he’s feeling no pain when doing so. He tells Wittenmyer he thinks being ready for Opening Day is a distinct possibility, though Francona took a more measured approach. While the skipper wouldn’t rule it out, he emphasized that they’re “going to do this right” and that Steer would only be on the roster if he’s fully healthy. A trip to the injured list would somewhat remarkably be the first IL stint for Steer in either the big leagues or the minors. He was drafted by the Twins out of Oregon in 2019 (and traded to Cincinnati in exchange for Tyler Mahle).
A healthy Steer will be all the more important now that Tyler Stephenson appears headed for the injured list. Steer and Stephenson represent two of the Reds’ better hitters, both capable of hitting 20-plus homers and delivering offense 10 to 15% better than league-average. Steer can conceivably factor in at any of the four corner positions or second base. The team could still take the cautious route and place him on the injured list, but it’s notable that things are trending in an encouraging direction.
On the pitching side of things, offseason acquisition Brady Singer talked with MLB Network’s Mark DeRosa (video link) about his surprise over being traded from the Royals to the Reds this offseason and detailed some changes he’s made to his repertoire this spring after working with the Reds’ staff. He also spoke highly of his early impressions working with a future Hall of Fame manager, Terry Francona.
The incorporation of a cutter is of particular note, given that Singer has predominantly been a two-pitch starter to this point in his career. He’s thrown a sinker 51% of the time on a big league mound and a slider at a 41% clip. Singer has at time tinkered with a changeup, and he worked a four-seamer into the mix at an 11.6% clip last year, but he’s never thrown a cutter in the majors.
Finding a usable third pitch could help Singer to combat his susceptibility to home runs; while he’s averaged a respectable 1.10 HR/9 in his career, he’s had a pronounced split between his rate at Kansas City’s spacious Kauffman Stadium (0.85 HR/9) versus his rate on the road (1.36). Moving to the sport’s most homer-friendly venue could prove difficult in that regard, but if the cutter proves effective, the more varied arsenal should help keep opponents off balance.