Reds acquire infielder Santiago Espinal From Blue Jays to minor league right-hander Chris McElvaineannounced by both teams. Cincinnati, which has a full 40-man roster, did not immediately announce any corresponding transfers.
Acquiring an infielder a week before Opening Day probably wasn’t what the Reds expected entering camp. For much of the offseason, it seemed very likely that Cincinnati would trade someone due to its infield depth.That was especially true after adding a corner infielder. jamer candelario on a three-year free agent contract.
Things changed pretty quickly.top prospects Noelvi Marte He was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance boldenone. This relieves Candelario, who was previously limited to playing third base between both corner spots and designated hitter, from day-to-day duties. Perhaps even more concerning than Marte’s suspension was today’s announcement that the second baseman was expected to play. matt mcclain He underwent an MRI scan of his injured left shoulder.
The team hasn’t released McClain’s schedule, but manager David Bell told reporters tonight that McClain won’t be ready until the start of the season. Coach Bell this morning left open the eerie possibility that McClain might require surgery, but the team has not announced anything on that front. The UCLA product will receive a second opinion before a formal schedule is announced.
The fact that the Reds went outside the organization to acquire another infielder doesn’t seem to point to the Reds expecting McClain back anytime soon. While we wait for official word on his injury, they would add a quality defender who can serve as a depth piece at either second base, third base or shortstop.
Espinal, 29, survived the first half surprisingly well and was named an All-Star in 2022. However, his overall track record shows him to be more of a high-end utility player than a regular contender. Espinal has positive contact skills with below-average power. His career batting averages of .273/.331/.367, as measured by wRC+, are about the same as league average, but have dipped this year.
Espinal, a right-handed hitter, hit .248/.310/.335 with two home runs in 254 at-bats last season. He missed a few weeks with right hamstring inflammation, but otherwise spent the year off the bench as a versatile infielder. Espinal saw most of his action at second and third base. He rates as an above-average to plus defender at both positions in terms of official defensive metrics. He is capable of playing shortstop, but was not asked to play that role much in Toronto. Beau Bichette was a staple in the daily lineup for three years.
This will continue in the future.
