Cincinnati Reds: Christian Colón is a dark horse to make the roster

Veteran infielder Christian Colón received non-roster invite to spring training. Colón has an outside shot to break camp with the Cincinnati Reds.

The starting infield for the Cincinnati Reds appears to be set. Provided he’s healthy after the team leaves Goodyear, Eugenio Suárez will occupy third base and Freddy Galvis will join him on the left side. Free agent acquisition Mike Moustakas will take over duties at second, and Joey Votto will begin his 14th season at first base. But what about the bench?

I feel confident in saying that Kyle Farmer will be part of the Opening Day roster. The former Georgia Bulldog is a versatile defender, able to play every position on the infield dirt, including catcher. Josh VanMeter offers a similar profile, but bats from the left side and possess more power than Farmer. Though unable to squat behind home plate, VanMeter has great versatility as well.

But there seems to be something missing among both Farmer and VanMeter – the ability to fill in at shortstop. Cincinnati has been rumored to be chasing shortstops Corey Seager and Francisco Lindor all offseason, but recent free agent additions put that pursuit into question. So, who would fill in at shortstop should Freddy Galvis get hurt or need a day off?

Most folks would point to Farmer, who did play shortstop for the University of Georgia. However, his transition to the position at the big league level was not as smooth and Farmer eventually settled as more of third baseman. There’s also Alex Blandino, who was slowed by a knee injury that kept him out of action until September.

But, the Reds do have a veteran they could turn to in former Kansas City Royals infielder Christian Colón. Colón, who was part of KC’s 2015 World Series Championship team, played all of last season for Cincinnati’s Triple-A affiliate, the Louisville Bats. Colón played 136 games for the Bats, slashing .300/.372/.443 with 37 doubles and 10 home runs.

Colón definitely has an uphill climb to make the roster. While he’s capable of playing shortstop, Colón only started 15 games at that position for Triple-A Louisville last season, committing just one error in 51 chances for a .980 fielding percentage. The majority of Colón’s starts came at third base, where the 30-year-old put up a .963 fielding percentage.

In terms of the advanced fielding metric, defensive runs scored (DRS), Christian Colón has faired well over the years. According to FanGraphs, while playing shortstop in big leagues from 2014-2016 with Kansas City, Colón had 3 DRS in 154.1 innings at the position. Colón is an above-average defender at all three positions.

At the dish is where Colón has struggled over the years. During his first two years in the majors, Colón slashed .303/.361/.382 in 62 games with the Royals. However, from 2016-17, two seasons that were split between Kansas City and the Miami Marlins, Colón slashed just .213/.279/.264 in 78 games.

According to Roster Resource, Alex Blandino has two minor-league options remaining, meaning if the Reds choose to send Blandino down to Triple-A to begin the season, he’ll remain on the 40-man roster. However, Christian Colón is out of options and isn’t even on the 40-man roster, but rather a non-roster invitee.

Colón is certainly a dark horse to make the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster out of Goodyear, but a solid showing during spring training could earn the veteran infielder a spot on the bench. With Eugenio Suárez sidelined with a shoulder injury, Colón could be given a long look once spring training begins.