Eugenio Suarez hasn’t gotten significant reps at shortstop since 2015, but the Reds may use him there this season. With Suarez having lost 15 pounds since last season, the team is considering him as an option at short, manager David Bell told Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer and other reporters Monday. He’ll start there for the team in its game against the Rockies on Tuesday.
Suarez has been the Reds’ primary third baseman since 2016, but the team has a capable hot corner replacement in Mike Moustakas, who has spent the majority of his career at the position. Moustakas was mostly a second baseman last season, and he’s penciled in as the Reds’ starter at the keystone this year. However, if Suarez shifts to short, it could open up second for Jonathan India, Nightengale notes. India, the fifth overall pick in the 2018 draft, hasn’t played above the Double-A level yet, though Bell said last week that the 24-year-old has a legitimate chance to make the Reds’ Opening Day roster.
When the offseason began, expectations were that the Reds would acquire a shortstop in free agency or via trade (Didi Gregorius, Marcus Semien, Andrelton Simmons and Ha-Seong Kim were all on the open market), as Freddy Galvis, Jose Garcia and Kyle Farmer combined for just 0.1 fWAR at the spot. Galvis has since left for the Orioles, while Garcia was clearly in over his head in his first major league action. Nevertheless, the Reds didn’t sign any shortstops to a big league deal or land a proven option in a trade, and it could now lead them to reinstall Suarez at the position this year.
Suarez has the bat for shortstop, having slashed .261/.342/.473 with 162 home runs in 3,433 plate appearances, but it’s up in the air whether the 29-year-old would perform well in the field. In 96 games at short in 2015, Suarez posted miserable marks with minus-12 Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-10.4 Ultimate Zone Rating.
Just play Nick Senzel at SS.
The entire Reds front office should be fired.
There’s a reason he’s not there. He was given a look a few years ago and they said nah, okey OF
If they are looking Suarez at SS instead, I have no respect for their player evaluation at this point.
Senzel is way more suited to play SS than Suarez.
But he can’t hit.
Are either of you scouts? In player development? If not then I’m going to defer to those whose jobs are on the line instead of a couple turds who whine about every single thing
If were going down the appeal to authority route, why have a comment section at all, “turd”?
wat
He can’t play 30 with out getting hurt , best option is Suarez that is his natural position
@joeschmoe- Right, MLB front offices don’t make mistakes, especially the reds FO. Now let’s see, it’s only been 30yrs since they last won it all so maybe – just maybe – they make really tiny mistakes once in a blue moon or on the other hand they’re imbeciles & should be selling shoes at the mall. Hmmmm, I think I’m going to go w/the latter
Dodgers hadn’t win since 88 before last year. What does that say about them? Point is they know more than we do
Yes, they know more than us. That doesn’t mean we check our minds at the door and stop having thoughts on a subject.
SS is Suarez’s natural position just like 3B was Pujols’s and Braun’s natural position.
@joeschmoe-
“Dodgers hadn’t win since 88 before last year.” Oookkaaaay, I’ve heard enough, goodbye & good luck.
Just because a guy came up at a certain position does not make it his natural position. 3B clearly wasn’t Braun’s natural position, since his defense sucked so badly there, the Brewers were forced to move him to LF, where he actually played pretty good defense.
As for Pujols, he initially played 4 different positions pretty well, so it’s hard to say what his natural position was before before plantar fasciitus and roster needs moved him to 1B full-time. Although, even if he never hurt his heel, I don’t know that he would’ve even been able to win a Gold Glove or 2 anywhere but at 1B.
…or were you just being sarcastic?
dave frost nhlpa –
By what measure?
Many MLB players were drafted as SS, it is not necessarily the position they are best suited for. They were just more often than not the most athletically gifted on their respective teams. So the majority of these guys have some experience at position where defense is a premium. I would not say that makes it their natural position or the position best suited for them.
joeshmoe1112 hours ago
Are either of you scouts?
============================================
Dude, I think you can safely assume that none of us are scouts.
I would then like to point out that this is a discussion board. I’m not sure what you are doing in here if you don’t like to hear other people’s opinions.
If they’d both suck as a defensive SS, you might as use Senzel there, since once Akiyama comes back he’d make a pretty good replacement for Senzel rather than rushing a rookie 2B into the starting lineup.
Titanic Struggle…I remember that little trial. A HOF shortstop at that time said, “oh yeah, he could play SS” Barry Larkin knows better than they do…
Are you dum or just high
I don’t think Nebraska is being that crazy. The last two seasons Suarez hasn’t even been a good 3B. Stepping up to an even more demanding place on the diamond sounds like a bad idea so maybe you might as well try Senzel. If (perhaps I should say when) Senzel can’t do the job are they going to try out Curt Casali next?
Last sentence, Senzel should say Suarez.
Casali is a catcher for the Giants…
Castellanos will return to the infield as the backup SS. Reds plan on the roulette approach. Good news is they can sell fans on their excellent versatility.
Damn it. You’re right. I used the Reds 2020 roster info. Mistake on my part. Barnhart then
This isn’t an exact comparison, but a couple years ago, the White Sox decided to move Moncada from 2nd to 3rd. Moncada, a SS naturally struggled HARD at 2nd, so no one thought he would be able to handle 3rd, and Tim Anderson, who had been a defensive dumpster fire the year before, was allowed to stay at short. Most Sox fans expected one of the worst defensive left sides in recent history. Turns out, we have been proven wrong.
Castellanos was a defensive liability for the Tigers at 3B. I would not imagine he fares any better playing SS, I imagine it would be pretty awful.
Tigers – it was clearly a joke. Not sure how anyone could think otherwise but you proved me wrong. Thank you for stating the obvious.
Okay, next poll – Who has the better defensive season this year at SS: Eugenio Suarez or Gleyber Torres
It’s not a question but a recommended poll – throw in another two names of non-SS players who’s are playing SS this year too.
Not a huge fan of you, Steve, but that was literally the first thought that came to my head too when reading this article, lol.
Given MLB players inability to put the ball in the play, the Reds may be alright but Moustakas and Suarez on the left side…. Nick Castellanos in right…. and Votto’s 2020 defensive struggles?
Only took em til week 3 of spring training to realize they don’t have a ss. Front office is really coming around !
Said it once and I’ll say it again – hire Steve Nebraska as gm. He’s put more thought into this than kroll and bell combined and I don’t think he’s even a red fan
Joeschmoe on reds damage control….it ain’t worth it bro ! Root for em to crash and burn. They have the worst manager in all of baseball. Kroll is equally bad in his own right and apparently the worst defense of all timez
Nick Kroll is a comedian. Nick Krall is the GM and he’s only been the man for a few months. Maybe he won’t be very good but the failure to get a SS is 100% on ownership for demanding that he cut payroll. Hard to sign players when you’re not allowed to spend $. My entire point is that there’s zero harm in trying him there, especially when the Reds shift more than most teams and the staff is geared towards strikeouts anyway. David Bell isn’t the problem either. He didn’t put together a flawed roster with several DH-types and an aging 1B. He didn’t sign Moose to a week above market deal. Managers have only a small effect. Strategy in baseball is an individual thing anyhow. They can keep him, they can fire him, it really doesn’t matter
Nick krall is a comedian too. And jokes on reds fans.
I’ll be rooting for Padres and royals this year.
He has trouble playing 3rd let alone SS,
This may be as bad as when the Angels tried playing Mark Trumbo at 3rd.
@bluemarlin528 lol neither is worse than Hanley Ramirez out in left field. Yikes.
I just checked the stats and I am floored.
In the last 2 seasons here are his defensive stats at 3rd:
OOA: -4
DRS: -8
UZR/150: -4.3
He is a below average 3rd baseman and they are trying him at SS? This is such a joke.
Holy moly. Those numbers don’t give ya a lot of confidence do they?
My guess is it’s just to see how he does. Gives them another option at ss every once in a while. I highly doubt he gets more than 5-10 games there all season. It doesn’t hurt to give him a look. The other options are bench guys at best.
It’s really sad when it’s so obvious that MLBTR commenters are smarter than the front office of a MLB team. The Reds clearly have no clue
So he’s going to lose power having lost weight for short, and he’s playing THE premier defensive position (excluding catcher) after not playing there for six years? Sounds like a solid plan, what could go wrong?
@stanlee Please do tell more about how power is contingent on weight. I would love to hear your hitting expertise lol.
Weight can increase your power because you have more force behind the ball, but muscle does have a more positive effect than weight.
Dude hit 49 hrs in 2019. Even if he were to lose some power I think he has enough to spare
@joeshmoe11- yeah, but it’s not going to be funny if Saurez makes 49 errors playing shortstop this season. Thairo Estrada on the Yankees probably could be had cheaply. His defense isn’t bad. He can play shortstop, 2nd, 3rd and he can even play some leftfield in a emergency.
I’m guessing he can’t hit. Which is the much greater issue. Reds’ staff strikes everyone out anyway so a weak defender will have fewer chances
You keep saying that, but outside of Gray and Castillo, their rotation is pretty bad.
Tyler Mahle, Tejay Antone/Michael Lorenzen, and Wade Miley are a pretty decent 3-5. Bad? Seriously? Wow man
I shouldn’t be shocked that someone who thinks Suarez should play SS thinks this rotation “strikes out everyone”. Have fun sucking.
2019 Reds led NL in ks. Last season Reds’ staff had most ks. Most ks this spring. There’s a trend. They lost the Cy Young winner so clearly they won’t be as good as last year but have now depth, depth with high K rates. Come at me with facts, not narratives
Nebraska, some guy named Smoltz is saying that the Reds have a WAY ABOVE AVERAGE rotation even after losing Bauer.
Maybe it’s your analysis that is pretty bad.
You don’t have power to spare when you are well below average defensively, even at a lesser defensive position. How many runs does he have to cost them before the power doesn’t matter anymore?
This weight-loss thing very commonly results in less power, it’s very difficult to lose fat and fat only. He has the advantage of playing in a homer-friendly park, but it very well could happen in this case.
The reds are a joke! Just shut it down & try it again next year. Ahahaha!
Maybe they should get Barry Larkin to come out of retirement. This front office is pathetic. Why they didn’t sign Didi, Simmons, or Semien with such a big-ass hole at short is beyond belief.
They broke. Blew their whole wad w writing on the wall season was in jeopardy but did it anyway, lost fans and revenue sharing, and then the ability to spend a cent above minimum wage
yes. they can use their SS as a SS and their 3B as a 3B
Suarez is not a SS.
He was
So was Hanley Ramirez. Maybe they should give him a call.
Prince Fielder probably played OF at some point as a child. How do you think that would have turned out had sone MLB team resorted to gim in OF cus he had experience.
This might be worse than Choo in CF. Wow.
When a team just flat out fails to address a screaming need, they are left to experiment by filling that need by moving players out of position. From Little League right up to the majors SS is almost always manned by the the most skilled defenders on the team. I hope Suarez is the answer, but moving him over this late in ST tells me they never really had a plan all along.
Him moving to SS would mean a better defender at 3b and 2b. Defensive loss would be mitigated and the Reds’ pitchers strike everybody out anyway. They were meh last year because the offense was awful. This upgrades the lineup if successful
I mean, “lost 15 pounds since last season” seems like a solid reason to name a guy your starting SS…
Your comment made me laugh thanks TREX. I needed it!
I definitely think it’s time to start shopping Luis Castillo. How would you feel if you were pitching and had Saurez playing shortstop? Would you pray that nobody hit the ball to Saurez? Lol. No reason why Cincy can’t get at least 3 top prospects for Castillo. I would call the Jays lst. A package of Austin Martin, Alek Manoah, and Adam Kloffenstein or Miguel Hiraldo should be able to get Castillo to them. Then Dunedin probably gets a Wild Card.
You guys are so mean, I’m gonna tell Tim on you!
Im sorry but I cant argue with the people who say the Reds front office is a joke. While you can get away with Moose at 2nd, Suarez at SS is a proven nightmare. Especially considering he’s below average at 3rd. I agree that they are better off having Senzel at SS out of the 2.
The Reds are imbeciles & here’s proof
Bob Castellini: Nick isn’t that your a$$ over there?
Nick Krall: I’m not sure (walks closer) I think it’s a hole in the ground Bob.
Bob, idk it looks a lot like your a$$ to me.
(Nick turns his head over his shoulder & looks back at the hole) Mmmm, that’s a tough one Bob.
Bob: well you’re my GM & you don’t know your a$$ from a hole in the ground!?
You kind of took the long way around the barn to use a cliche…
You kind of took the shortcut thru the barn to prove you’re a maroon, so props to you hubcap.
Not real good at handling some light criticism, are you? Lighten up, Francis
He’s not a maroon … more like cranberry
Luis Rengifo is young, cost controlled, and capable of playing a decent shortstop. Reworked swing looks pretty good in camp, too.
Any extra pitching lying around Cincy?
Time for India!
What does “has the bat for shortstop” mean?
It’s a bat only a mother can love.
Good to know a 49-HR hitter will be able to hang with those rigorous demands
I wonder why they never tried Adam Dunn at SS. He hit a lot of homers
They should get Aledmys Diaz from Houston.
Thats is actually a great idea
Well, at this point, why not? His defense at SS won’t be any better than Suarez’s, but at least his bat should be better than India’s. Just make sure Votto stays in shape to chase after all the overthrows to 1B.
Seriously how inept is this front office? They have known they needed a shortstop since what September? If not longer? As a Reds fan it pains me to say that sometimes I wonder who has a better front office…The Bengals or Reds. Bob Castellini please get serious or get out. What a joke.
Ya know, thinking out loud here, but playing Castillo at SS could increase his value even more! SS and SP! Like Ohtani, but IF, and actually pitches too! Yep, I’ll take my check Reds FO – you’re welcome fans.
This is taking ‘best shape of his life’ way too seriously…
Suarez was not good at SS when he came up, which is why they moved him to 3B even knowing Senzel was at 3B. So they moved Senzel to 2B in the minors, then converted him to CF. So that die is cast, he will not play SS. I would want India in the line-up, so 2B it is. Moose and India both play 2B and 3B. All of it tells me they are going offense first and that it will be a rotation based on the opponent. All of it until/if Garcia is ready. If that happens soon, one of Moose or Suarez gets traded – probably Suarez since they can get the most for him with his contract.
Why? This is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard (that song Friday is way worse though.) The worst baseball decision I’ve heard since the Kiwoom Heroes signed Taylor Motter last year for $300,000 to play 10 games and bat .113 .135 .200 .
Lmfao. That’s a terrible decision. The guy is slow and can barely field his position at Third.
Dont know much about Suarez in the field, but i always thought he didnt have wheels to play SS
Lateral movement and how fast someone can run are two different things. But even then, he wouldn’t be good at short defensively. With that said, his bat would be incredible there and he could pass in maybe 50 games as part of a stop gap situation since there will be so many shortstops on the market next year
Biggest question is will Garcia ever hit major-league pitching? If that’s their only option they may have some issues there. He looks overmatched against AA pitching in Arizona.
I’m not sure Garcia is the answer but there will be plenty of guys on the market after this season
Which one will be in Cincinnati’s price range?
I would also love to know what the Reds offered to each of those free agents? I bet they never were in play for any of them in reality.
Free drink tokens at one of the five Budweiser party patios!!
In 2019 Jose Iglesias played exceptional SS for the Reds, making $2.5m. Slashed: .288 .318 .407 .724 They let him go.
He went to the Orioles. Played exceptional SS for them in a shortened season, making $925,926. Slashed: .373 .400 .556 .956 The Orioles let him go.
He’s playing for the Angels this year for $3.5m.
Reds fans and the broadcasters loved watching him play. I have no ideal why the Reds FO let him go. I have no idea why anyone lets him go. If he’s doing something awful, the media would have reported it.
Now Reds fans are talking about Senzel and India. Seriously? Neither of them will ever be half the overall ballplayer Iglesias has been….let alone at a premier defensive position. And the FO wants to move Suarez there? Maybe they can get Pokey Reese out of retirement for the minimum salary.
P.S. It appears David Bell is the perfect Manager to work with that FO.
Letting him walk has always confused me. I thought he was a perfect fit, love to play. Entertaining to watch and did his job well. I had heard and cannot verify this but I heard he was a clubhouse problem. That’s hard for me to believe because I’ve never heard that anywhere else he has been. Madden would not put up with that if it was the case
Here is another way of looking at it. Would any other teams other than the Reds play Suarez at SS. The organization failed to acquire a adequate SS and are trying to patch the whole in the dam. It’s not like the issue snuck up on them. It was clear last year that Garcia was not ready.
They have also failed to acquire a legitimate CF. They tried with Akiyama, but they didn’t accurately gauge his talent as he is a fringe 5th OF. Stats don’t lie. So Senzel has to cover CF. Aren’t championship made by pitching and defense up the middle?
@ GriffeyJrFan;
Yes, they are. And it starts with the Catcher.
I don’t think Senzel will ever be a great player, or even a better then average one. What the Reds FO and Manager have done with him is criminal. The guy is a 3B that they won’t play there. Before he can get any traction in MLB they’re moving him around to positions he hasn’t played, let alone at the ML level. I’m sorry, he’s just not that good of an athlete to be constantly put in that situation, before he even tries to adjust to ML pitching as a hitter.
There otta be a law. The young man is being ruined. I hope some team with a track record developing players gets him, gives him great coaching, and puts him in non-pressure situations for a few years until he can unwind mentally and get his feet on the ground. He deserves it.
The way India is playing,I can see hom opening up at 2nd with Moose at 3rd. Suarez is more than capable of starting at short. He has slimmed down and seems ready to play I am not convinced that Senzel has the stamina or durability to play anywhere in the infield.
But it doesn’t take “stamina” to run around the outfield all game? Why do you think out of shape stiffs play corner INFIELD?
Why not just use India at SS?
I can’t see this ending very well, but…with strikeouts going up, and more and more players focusing on hitting fly-balls, shortstops are getting less plays on the ball – which (even if only slightly) can devalue the fielding aspect of the position. If there’s ever a time to see if a guy can fake it at the position, it’s right now and with the Reds.
Sensel will be hurt by April 10th. FO made dumb acquisitions last year. Over paid. Have about 4 3rd basemen littered around the diamond. If all u wanna do is draft 3B. Fine. But trade them for positions of need once they develop.
There’s no excuse with the amount of SS’s available in free agency that the Reds couldn’t have signed one.
Just what the H is going on in Cincinnati with the way the organization operates? It’s a confusing operation with odd methodology to say the least…
Ownership likes to play the “We are broke” game. This issue started last off season when the decision was made to let Jose Iglesias go and stick with Galvis. They were doling out money left and right but for some reason could not afford Iglesias.
Should look into Amed Rosario in Cleveland.
Or roll with what they have as a bridge to whoever big name they get in FA next offseason
India for Rosario is what I thought was gonna happen. I like india better but reds need a ss
Amed Rosario has been beaten out by a vastly superior defensive SS in Andres Gimenez. With the depth in the Indians minor league and near ML ready system, the Indians will start Amed in CF. He has the wheels and, in brief reports, looks like a natural in CF.. good routes to the ball.. good instincts.
Will Cleveland trade Amed.. if given the right return.. and, NO, the Indians don’t need a DH impersonating an iron glove OF’er..
Both of these CLE SS’s have hit well and fielded well.. Gimenez has been phenomenal.. (Read: Amed didn’t fail.. Andres is just that good)
If you want a true SS who can play the position well, then Rosario’s not your guy.
Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Measures
This is a pointless comment because no one cares but I called this with didi resigned
“Reds considering fan located in section C row G seat #5 for SS”
I’m not even a Reds fan and I’m embarrassed for how badly they botched up replacing FREDDY GALVIS!!. There were no backup Infielders available for league minimum willing to play in Cincinnati?
Why haven’t the Reds pulled the trigger on Rosario? Or been linked to Mateo or any other 27 year old non starter stuck behind a big contract?
They have some decent pitching, power, vets…they just don’t seem to have a real plan. Seems like 10 years since the minor league system has produced a hitter worthy of an All Star invite other than Suarez.
You know this might be Suarez’s idea, he’s an ambitious guy I could see him going to the FO with this. Would explain his weight loss. Bell and the FO would propose it to fans as something they’ll try instead of Geno’s idea to protect him in case it goes awry. Just a thought.
It can’t hurt to try, they don’t really have any good options.
Let’s simplify this. He is a DH. End of discussion. Trade him and cut your losses. Senzel is barely an MLB player. Trade him and cut your losses. That way you won’t lay awake at night.
The Reds leadership do to lack of funds or lack of baseball minds are against a wall at shortstop and are grasping at straws. It’s almost like the 1st day of little league where they line up the players at each position and hit them a few balls, then move to the next and so on till they have their infield.
I am not a skilled person at players ability but all things being equal I would use the young guy who can field and hopefully his batting skills will dcome around. But doing their job of trying other assets may uncover an answer.
Too soon to call the Moose signing a mistake?
It was a bad contract but that’s all cincy has to offer as no one wants to play there. So signing anyone really isn’t a bad thing there.
That being said- timing was terrible and Dick Williams was in the mist of a 5 year terrible rebuild, got desperate, and blew his wad right before the revenue sharing for axed. So no fans and no charity makes reds income next to nothing as their tv share sucks. That’s why they never considered a short stop. Not even for a million and also why Dick Williams got canned. And they shed any payroll possible while long time success starter Anthony desclafani sign w giants for only 4 mill.
In other words, it was a mistake. Got it.
Moose has been prinarily at 3B for his career, Suarez has experience at SS,even though its been a while.Overall I feel India’s best fit would be 2nd. Does it matter where they are “assigned” to play anymore With all the shifting that goes on.
This is the best option offensively too.
Believe me, the shifting in no way hides the disaster that usually happens when you play a non-SS at SS.
The reds could be one of the worst defensive teams in recent memory. Going to be a lot of run scoring in cincy.
Which is the better situation; Moose at 2nd w/ Suarez at 3rd, or Suarez at SS and Moose at 3rd? Either way, somebody is going to be playing out of position given the current lineup. I feel at this point, the Reds should just hand the primary SS job to García and stick out the growing pains he will likely have at the dish.
Flip it to the perspective of offense. Suarez move keeps a combination of Strange-Gordon/Kyle Farmer as an everyday feature in the lineup and puts a new, solid rookie in India there. It also potentially lets Senzel slide there when Akiyama returns (esp if India looks unready). With Stevenson behind the plate, the lineup looks very good. All of this outwieghs the fact he’ll be somewhat of a liability out there.
I think the issue with Senzel is he has very little experience at SS as a pro, and I’m unsure the Reds would want to test him at another position when he’s still yet to establish himself in general.
Suarez has more experience at SS than Farmer, and he has played SS as recent as Gordon. Garcia need time to develop. I also don’t like the idea of rushing India, but we’ll see how that works out.