Cincinnati Reds: Excessive talent at 2B is a good problem to have

Dilson Herrera’s heroics on Monday night revealed that the Cincinnati Reds have a problem, but it’s a good one to have.

The Cincinnati Reds trailed 0-1 on Monday night heading into the ninth inning. Eugenio Suarez tied the game with a two-out homer to left field. Four batters later, with the bases loaded, Dilson Herrera lined a single up the middle for the win. Herrera’s heroics to win the game proved the Reds have a problem on their hands. They have a lot of talented second basemen.

The Reds have known all season that their farm system is ripe with infield talent. It seems, however, that all that talent is concentrated at one position; second base. Cincinnati, right now, has three players capable of being an everyday second baseman on most MLB teams. There’s also two members of the team who are capable of filling in at the position routinely. Not to mention, the best player on their Double-A affiliate plays second base too.

Scooter Gennett is the Reds’ All-Star second baseman. Gennett is having a career year, hitting .319 with 16 home runs and 63 RBIs. A slow start to the second half of the season dropped Gennett from the league-leader in batting average to third in the National League.

However, his game-tying, pinch-hit home run in the All-Star Game showed just how clutch Gennett can be. There’s been talk recently that the Reds may pursue a long-term deal with Gennett in the near future.

If it weren’t for an injury to his right hand, the Reds’ top prospect, Nick Senzel, would likely be in the Major Leagues right now. After a bout with vertigo earlier in the season, Senzel returned to Triple-A Louisville and was hitting the cover off the ball before his season-ending injury. Senzel was slashing .310/.378/.509 with 20 extra base hits in just 44 games.

Dilson Herrera, whose game-winning hit on Monday night got him an ice bath from teammate Jose Peraza, has been waiting a long time for his opportunity to show that he can hit at the Major League-level.

He’s played in 9 games this season, most often as a defensive replacement or a pinch hitter. Before his promotion to the big leagues, Herrera was hitting .297 with a .367 on-base percentage at Triple-A Louisville.

The Reds are fortunate to have two players, Brandon Dixon and Alex Blandino, who are able to fill in at second base for a spot start or even an injury replacement. Unfortunately for Blandino, he’ll be out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Blandino underwent surgery on Monday and is expected to miss 6-8 months of action.

For those who haven’t heard of Shed Long, he’s the No. 5 prospect in the Cincinnati Reds’ farm system and he plays, you guessed it, second base. Long is currently the starting second baseman for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

Long is an adequate defender and possesses a lot of pop in his bat. Long has a .356 on-base percentage with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs this season for Double-A Pensacola. It won’t be long before he’s called up to the Louisville Bats.

Yes, the Reds have a gluttony of second basemen, but it’s a good problem to have. With season-ending injuries to Senzel and Blandino, having so much talent that can play second base is a luxury for Cincinnati.

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The offseason may be time to iron things out, have some more defined roles, and pull the trigger on a few trades heading into the 2019 season. For now, an excessive amount of second basemen is a problem the Reds seem quite comfortable with.