GOODYEAR, Arizona – The Cincinnati Reds added a new shortstop to their spring training competition and he immediately becomes a top candidate to earn an everyday starting role.
His name: Eugenio Suárez.
The Reds didn’t seriously consider him at shortstop until the start of spring training and he will make his first spring training start at the position Tuesday. Suárez is 15 pounds lighter than he was last year and it’s easy to see the extra bounce in his step with the way he runs. He’s been working at shortstop throughout camp with infield coaches Freddie Benavides and Delino Deshields.
“I do think it did have something to do with how he came into camp just lighter and in really good shape,” Reds manager David Bell said. “That's when it was first considered. Over the course of the last three weeks, he's gradually started working a little bit more on the back fields and I've seen him a few times. I've had conversations with him, feeling out the situation and he was open to it.
“In some ways, I think he's excited about the possibility because he's played there before. It's an original home for him.”
Suárez hasn’t played shortstop regularly since 2015 and he’s spent only 14 innings at the position in the last four years. But the Reds don’t have an obvious starting candidate at shortstop with Kyle Farmer, Dee Strange-Gordon, Alex Blandino and Kyle Holder receiving playing time there during spring training games.
Moving Suárez from third base to shortstop has big ramifications on the rest of the infield. Mike Moustakas would shift from second base to third base, a position that he’s played for most of his big-league career. It could open second base for Jonathan India, the team’s first-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft who has really impressed the coaching staff all camp. The Reds don’t want to promote India to the big leagues unless he can be an everyday player to aid his development.
The Reds would likely take a step back defensively with Suárez as a full-time shortstop, but Moustakas might be a better defensive third baseman and a player like India gives the Reds more range at second base. It would benefit the Reds’ offense, too.
“It hasn't been that Moose hasn't done well at second base,” Bell said. “He's made all the plays, but I guess it's more of a home for Moose. It does open up the possibility for Jonathan India if he continues to show that it's the right timing for him. We have other options too, we have several guys competing for the utility role, maybe it now becomes second base with Dee Strange-Gordon and Blandino and Farmer and (Max) Schrock if he's back. I think where Jonathan is, it makes even more sense to look at this possibility.”
Suárez was hopeful at the start of spring training to receive some playing time at shortstop. It was the position he played for most of his career and he’s confident that he can still play well there defensively.
He did some extra work on a side half-field Monday with Benavides and DeShields while Bell hit ground balls to him. Suárez fielded ground balls to both sides, moved to spots where he’d play in shifts and practiced double plays.
Bell and Suárez chatted for about five minutes after the extra fielding session Monday morning. Bell cautioned that it’s not a final decision to move Suárez to shortstop, but they want to consider all options. It’s a good sign, of course, that Suárez has passed every test to this point.
“We have to see what it looks like,” Bell said. “We're not making any decisions now. We have a lot of options. We have guys willing to do what's best for our team and have bought into whatever it takes. That's making this look at Geno at shortstop possible.”
The Reds missed out on acquiring a starting shortstop this offseason when free agents Marcus Semien (Toronto), Andrelton Simmons (Minnesota) and Didi Gregorius (Philadelphia) signed elsewhere. When the Reds explored the trade market, they couldn’t find a match.
It’s led them to this path where Suárez could emerge as the club’s starting shortstop this season.
“It's a difficult position,” Bell said. “It's a different mentality between shortstop and third base, both challenging for different reasons, but this would have nothing to do with, zero to do with a reflection of how he's played at third base if we end up going in this direction.
“I actually think he's better this spring than I've ever seen him at third base. If we did make the transition, I like the fact that we're making it not based on a lack of performance at third base; it's actually quite the opposite. He's actually moving really, really well at third base. It's just more encouragement to see what he's looked like at shortstop.”
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