Cincinnati Reds: Predicting the roster with Opening Day three weeks away

Catchers (2)

Tucker Barnhart and Curt Casali

This is the one position battle on the Reds roster that you can put to bed. Tucker Barnhart and Curt Casali, barring injury, will be the two catchers on the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster. Kyle Farmer is likely to get some work at the position as well, but only in an emergency situation would I expect to see Farmer don the tools of ignorance.

Barnhart has switched to exclusively hitting from the left-side, which is a good thing. With Casali being a right-handed hitter, look for David Bell to platoon the backstop position depending on the matchup. We saw that a little bit last season, but Barnhart’s permanent switch to batting left-handed makes the rotation much more likely.

The biggest question among the catching ranks on the Reds may be in regards to top prospect Tyler Stephenson. When are fans likely to see the former first-round pick make his major league debut. Stephenson has been slowly climbing the minor league ladder is likely to begin the 2020 season at Triple-A Louisville.

Stephenson was added to the 40-man roster earlier this offseason. A 6’4″, Stephenson is a big catcher, but he makes it work. This spring, Stephenson has gone 4-for-10 with two doubles and a home run. When the 23-year-old finally makes his big league debut, he’ll give the Reds a catcher with gap-to-gap power and the potential to hit 15-plus homers a season.

For now, look for Barnhart and Casali to hold down catching duties. However, if either player is injured, Stephenson is the likely replacement. With the Reds chasing the NL Central crown, a rookie behind the plate is not ideal, but Stephenson is loaded with potential and could give the offense a boost.