Cincinnati Reds: Where does Kyle Farmer fit on the roster?

The Cincinnati Reds blockbuster deal with the Dodgers sent four new faces to the Queen City. Everyone knows Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp, but let’s spend a minute getting to know Kyle Farmer.

Kyle Farmer is one of the four players who came over to the Cincinnati Reds in the December 21st deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Farmer was an eighth-round draft pick by the Dodges in 2013 and did not make his Major League debut until July of 2017.

Farmer only appeared in 39 games for the Dodgers last season and during that time he slashed .235/.312/.324 with 16 hits, 1 run scored, 9 RBIs, 4 doubles, and 1 triple. The remainder of his time last season was spent with LA’s Triple-A affiliate, the Oklahoma City Dodgers.

Kyle Farmer is listed as a catcher on the Reds roster, but he actually spent most of his time on the field last season manning third base. He had 6 putouts, 35 assists, and 4 double plays as a third baseman. He also put up good fielding numbers in his few appearances at catcher and first base.

I know what you’re probably thinking, the Cincinnati Reds are certainly not lacking in talented infielders with three All-Stars guarding the bases and a Gold Glover as their backstop, so why would they need Kyle Farmer? While it’s obvious that Puig, Kemp, and Wood were the main pieces of the deal, Farmer still could definitely come in handy as a utility player for the Reds.

Looking deeper into the stats, you’ll also find that Farmer was batting .298 away from Dodger stadium last season. Great American Ball Park could be the right home for him. He was batting .256 against left-handed pitching last season as well, which can be an important figure to look at when you consider the Reds division rivals and their lefty pitchers like Josh Hader, Cole Hamels, and Jon Lester. It could be nice to have an extra right-handed batter for the infield during those games

Also, I know Joey Votto doesn’t like to take any days off unless he has to. But we know that injuries can happen unexpectedly. It might’ve been nice to have that extra infielder who has some experience at first base last season when Joey was placed on the disabled list for a couple of weeks after being hit on the knee by Ryan Madson’s 96 MPH fastball.

I would not overlook Kyle Farmer. He may not have the most impressive numbers, but with the coaching staff the Cincinnati Reds have on board for the coming season and the changes the front office has been making lately, it is starting to feel like anything could happen. Next season should be a very exciting year for Reds Country!