Cincinnati Reds: Who plays third base while Eugenio Suárez recovers?

1. Mike Moustakas

The Reds will be hard-pressed to find a better option than Mike Moustakas to take over at third base while Eugenio Suárez is recovering from shoulder surgery. The Reds signed Moustakas this past December to a four-year/$64M contract. Moose was slated to begin the season at second base, but it looks like those plans may change.

Moustakas is a three-time All-Star, and while he started 40 games at second base for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, his best seasons have come while he was playing the hot corner. Moustakas is not an elite defender, however, according to FanGraphs, Moustakas has 9 defensive runs saved while playing third base.

Moose also brings a bat that will help supplement the potential loss of Suárez. Last season for the Brewers, Moustakas slashed .254/.329/.516 with 35 home runs and 87 RBIs. It’s very possible to view Moustakas as the No. 3 hitter in the Reds batting order while Geno recovers from surgery. While table setters Joey Votto and Shogo Akiyama ahead of him, Moose could do some damage.

While this was far from the plan heading into the season, injuries happen. Having Moustakas available to slide over to third base is a luxury that most teams do not have. Hopefully Geno’s injury is not a long-term problem and by April both he and Moustakas are hitting in the middle of the Reds order.

While Mike Moustakas makes the most sense to take over during Suárez’s absence, there are several players on the Reds roster who may be given the opportunity as well. Let’s see who else may be given a chance to fill in for Suárez to begin the 2020 season.