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

3. Kyle Farmer

Okay, let me just say that I love what Kyle Farmer brings to the team. His fun-loving nature and versatility, including his ability to play catcher, is something we rarely is baseball. That said, while Farmer could be a spot-starter for a game or two, I find it hard to believe he’ll take over third base duties while Eugenio Suárez is out of the lineup.

That’s not to say that Farmer can’t handle it. In fact, I think he’s more than capable, but Farmer’s value is as a utility player who can play all over the infield, not just third base. Along those lines, expect to see Farmer in the lineup a bit more than usual, perhaps filling in at second or third base during the first couple weeks, or however long Geno is absent.

Something Farmer brings to the table that Moustakas does not is a right-handed bat. It would be very easy to see Farmer gather a couple starts against left-handed starters. Farmer did quite well against southpaws last season, slashing .274/.338/.484. That said, Moustakas wasn’t too shabby against lefties either.

Again, the reason we’re unlikely to see Kyle Farmer taking regular reps at third base is due to his versatility. Depending on how the roster is constructed, Farmer could very well be the backup shortstop to Freddy Galvis. Cementing Farmer in one role is not wise, as his greatest asset to this team is adaptability.