Cincinnati Reds: Three shortstops who could backup up Freddy Galvis

If the season started today, Freddy Galvis would be the Cincinnati Reds starting shortstop. What other options are still available in free agency?

The odds of the Cincinnati Reds making a trade for Francisco Lindor or Corey Seager lose momentum every day. At this point, it seems unlikely that either shortstop will be dealt prior to the season. That puts Freddy Galvis front and center as the Reds starting shortstop. But who’s his backup?

Currently, the most likely option to backup Galvis is Alex Blandino. Not an exciting player to watch with the bat, Blandino has a solid glove and can definitely handle the position from a defensive standpoint. However, a career .238 hitter, Blandino leaves a lot to be desired when he steps to the plate.

Didi Gregorius, who ranked highly on the Reds list this offseason, signed with his old skipper Joe Girardi and joined the Philadelphia Phillies. Our friend José Iglesias signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles. Iglesias played Gold Glove-caliber defense during his lone season in Cincinnati last year and had a productive year at the dish as well.

The season has not yet begun, but most fans are not happy with the current situation at shortstop. Sure, Galvis has some pop in his bat and is a terrific defender, but his career on-base percentage is below .300, and until last season, one that saw a record number of home runs, Galvis never had a slugging percentage above .399.

Kyle Farmer can jump over to short in a pinch, but in terms of a player that give Galvis regular rest or fill in due to injury, the Cincinnati Reds are left with just Blandino. I’d expect the Reds to add at least one player to the mix before heading to Goodyear. Let’s take a look at three options.