Cincinnati Reds: Grading Freddy Galvis’ abbreviated 2019 season

I’m not a fan of handing a grade for an incomplete season, but while Freddy Galvis’ time with the Cincinnati Reds was short, he may be part of the future.

Freddy Galvis came to the Cincinnati Reds after being claimed off waivers in mid-August. Galvis signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays last season and the deal included a team-option for 2020. Did the Reds gather enough information in the short amount time Galvis spent with the team to determine if the switch-hitting shortstop should return next season?

Galvis played in just 32 games for the Cincinnati Reds this season. He hit .234 with a .696 OPS, 5 home runs and 16 RBIs. The Venezuela native had a seven-game stretch that saw him hit .385 with an .808 slugging percentage. Galvis also hit a wall toward the end of his 2019 campaign, going 5-for-39 (.128) with a .227 on-base percentage.

The 29-year-old didn’t have a horrible season for the Blue Jays. Galvis showcased his power, smacking 18 home runs while he was with Toronto. However, Galvis lacks plate discipline, which seems to be a common problem among all Reds shortstops. Galvis struck out 112 times while playing in Hollywood North and recorded just 21 walks.

A shortstop by trade, and one of the best in the business, Galvis was relegated to second base for the majority of time he was on the field. With the defensive wizard, José Iglesias, occupying shortstop, it made sense to put Galvis at second base, a position he’s more than comfortable playing.

The Cincinnati Reds acquisition of Galvis was curious. After trading Scooter Gennett, it seemed as the though the front office and coaching staff wanted to see what they had over the final few months of the season with Josh VanMeter playing second base. After all, Derek Dietrich‘s stats took a nose dive and José Peraza looked lost no matter where he played on the field.

Picking up Galvis off waivers from the Blue Jays does two things: 1) It provides the Reds a serviceable shortstop with power should José Iglesias not re-sign with the club. 2) It gives the Reds a bit of leverage in negotiations with Iglesias if they choose to go that direction.

Given that Galvis and Iglesias are not patient hitters at the plate, I can’t envision both returning next season. Galvis has a $5M option and Iglesias is a free agent. If the Cincinnati Reds are planning to have a middle infield of Galvis and Iglesias in 2020, the defense will be stellar, but the offense will leave a lot to the imagination.

If the Reds are able to negotiate a team-friendly deal with José Iglesias this offseason, I think the team will pay the $1M buyout and send Galvis on his way. However, if the Reds and Iglesias can’t come to terms on an agreement, I suspect Galvis is the No. 1 option to take over at shortstop next season.

This year’s audition may have been cut short by injury, but the Reds have enough information given what Galvis has done over his eight-year career to make a decision about his future with the organization. Galvis gets a C for the contributions he made to the Reds this season. Had he played a full season in the Queen City, we may have given him a different grade.