Cincinnati Reds let Zack Cozart use spring training to get ready to be shortstop instead of a back-up

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Reds and Zack Cozart know that he won’t be around at the end of 2017 unless the Reds do the unthinkable.

The Cincinnati Reds sent out feelers this off-season to see how much value Zack Cozart would bring in a trade.  They wanted to see what he would be worth prior going to arbitration with Cozart.  The Reds know that Cozart has value to other teams, but he still has good value to them

The only legitimate offer that the Reds got was from the Seattle Mariners.  In the end the Mariners ended up trading for Jean Segura from the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Ironically, the Diamondbacks acquired Segura last off-season after Brandon Phillips blocked his deal to Arizona.

In order for the Reds to keep Cozart past the All-Star Game, the Reds would have to be in playoff hunt.  The chances of that are extraordinarily slim, especially after they traded away Dan Straily for more prospects.  If the Reds are in the playoff hunt, it means that Cozart is driving in runs and Jose Peraza is getting on base at a high rate.

Cozart is likely headed to an American League team.  He will be tasked with being a back-up middle infielder, save an injury to a contending team. Cozart is an elite defensive shortstop, but that likely isn’t the next role in his career.

The Cincinnati Reds have decided to let Zack Cozart play shortstop and not cross train him.

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Cozart has played exclusively shortstop for the Reds.  He was the opening day starter in 2012 and hasn’t looked back.  Now the Reds are at a crossroads of whether to sell him as a starting shortstop or a defensive back-up.

If they planned on selling him as a defensive back-up, the Reds needed to play him at second and third during spring training.  While Jose Peraza will replace Cozart at short some day, this spring he needed to focus on second base.  That means that the Reds needed to let others to play short when Cozart worked on second and third, but that didn’t happen.

Former New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes switched to third last year and former Miami Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez has also played third, left field, and first.  Cozart is defensively superior to either of those two.  Cozart just didn’t show anything this spring to prove he has the flexibility.

The best scenario was probably for Cozart to spend about half of his time at short and the rest bouncing between second and third.  Once the season starts, Cozart will be spending all of his time at shortstop for the Reds.  He and Peraza will be the double play combination to start the season.

Next: Devin Mesoraco starts season on DL

For the Reds, this is the next step of turning from the rebuild to being competitive again.  Turning Cozart into a prospect and opening up the shortstop position for Peraza is that step.  In the meantime, it will be fun to watch Cozart play defense.

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