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Cincinnati Reds: Three possible replacements for the injured Freddy Galvis

By Drew Koch |
MIAMI, FLORIDA - AUGUST 27: Freddy Galvis #3 of the Cincinnati Reds looks on against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on August 27, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - AUGUST 27: Freddy Galvis #3 of the Cincinnati Reds looks on against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on August 27, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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GOODYEAR, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 19: Freddy Galvis #3 poses during Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 19: Freddy Galvis #3 poses during Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Freddy Galvis has just not been able to see the field much this spring. Tightness in Galvis’ quad sidelined the Cincinnati Reds shortstop on Wednesday.

According to Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer, David Bell did not have an update on the severity of the quad injury that scratched Freddy Galvis from Wednesday’s game in Goodyear. Nightengale reports that Galvis did undergo an MRI exam. If Galvis’ injury forces him to miss any time during the regular season, who will be the Cincinnati Reds starting shortstop?

Now, before anyone gets carried away, we’re looking at “in-house” options. There’ll be no mention of Francisco Lindor or Corey Seager joining the Reds before Opening Day because, well, it’s not going to happen. If Galvis is unable to go on March 26th against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Reds will have to find someone who’s currently in the organization.

Another thing we’re not going to entertain is Jose Garcia making the Opening Day roster. Garcia has been the talk of spring camp, but the 21-year-old has yet to play above A-Ball. While Garcia may well be Cincinnati’s next big prospect to climb the prospect ladder, he’s at least a year or two away from making an impact at the big league level.

One more player who’s not going to be taking balls at shortstop is Nick Senzel. I know that several fans, myself included, feel that last year’s rookie can play the position, but the feeling is not mutual among the Reds coaching staff and front office. Bell has gone out of his way to dispel the notion that Senzel will be anything but a centerfielder this season.

So, with those parameters set, where might the Cincinnati Reds turn to find a potential spot-starter should Freddy Galvis miss any time to begin the 2020 season? There are several options, but some may be more likely than others.

CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 10: Kyle Farmer #52 of the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 10: Kyle Farmer #52 of the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

1. Kyle Farmer

As far as in-house options go, Kyle Farmer is the most likely player to get the call on Opening Day should Freddy Galvis be unable to take the field. Farmer, who’s never played shortstop at the majors league level, has seen three starts at the position so far this spring, racking up 14 innings of work, recording one error in nine chances.

Is Farmer an elite defender? No, but he can hold his own. Last year, Cincinnati dispersed Farmer at nearly every infield position, including catcher, but the 29-year-old never found time at shortstop. That could change drastically in 2020.

Is Farmer an elite hitter? Eh, the answer to that is the same as above. While Farmer is unlikely to hit better than .250, the right-handed hitting utility player slugged .410 last season, proving that he has the capability to send the ball out of the yard.

If Kyle Farmer is the Reds Opening Day starter on March 26th, he’s likely to be hitting way down in the lineup. Having Farmer’s bat in the No. 8 hole is not the worst problem to have, as Galvis himself has a career on-base percentage of just .296.

The biggest question mark should Farmer get the call on Opening Day would be on defense. Though he played shortstop in college, doing so at the major league level is an entirely different animal. Though, with the emphasis on defensive shifts being so prevalent nowadays, perhaps his lack of experience wouldn’t be such a hindrance.

CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 6: Alex Blandino #2 of the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 6: Alex Blandino #2 of the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

2. Alex Blandino

As far as defensive options go, Alex Blandino is probably the best the Cincinnati organization has to offer if Freddy Galvis is sidelined to begin the 2020 season. Blandino has experience at shortstop, playing 11 games there during the 2018 season before he was upended trying to turn a double-play and missed significant time with a torn ACL.

The former Stanford standout was a first-round selection of the Cincinnati Reds back in 2014 and Blandino has slowly worked his way up the minor league ladder and is part of the 40-man roster. Blandino received a September call-up last season, hitting .250/.420/.361 with a double, a home run and three RBIs.

Blandino has fared well in spring ball so far, slashing .250/.400/.583 in six games. Like Kyle Farmer, Alex Blandino is a versatile infielder, capable of playing all four infield positions. Blandino has seen eight-plus innings of action at shortstop, second and third base this spring.

Something we saw from Blandino last season, albeit in limited action, was an increased walk-rate. According to FanGraphs, Blandino’s walk-rate was 20.0%, drawing 10 walks in 50 plate appearances during September.

We’ve seen Blandino put up just a 14.2% walk-rate thus far in Cactus League action, but players are working on a variety of things during spring camp. Should Blandino get the call on Opening Day, he’d be a solid fielding option, but little more than that. Blandino seems like a jack-of-all-trades, but master-of-none. He does a lot of things well, but nothing great.

CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 20: Eugenio Suarez #7 of the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 20: Eugenio Suarez #7 of the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

3. Eugenio Suárez

For my money, if he’s healthy in his own right, I’d plug Eugenio Suárez in as the Cincinnati Reds starting shortstop on Opening Day in the event that Freddy Galvis is unable to go. Suárez has yet to take the field this spring, as he’s currently dealing with an injury of his own.

Suárez injured his shoulder in a pool accident earlier this winter, but all reports suggest that he’s slowly working his way back. If Geno makes his return before March 26th, the Reds should insert him into the lineup as the starting shortstop.

Starting Suárez at shortstop would provide Cincinnati with their best lineup. If Geno takes over at shortstop, where he 183 games of major league experience, the Reds could move Mike Moustakas to third base. Cincinnati would then have a bevy of options to fill in for Moose at second base, all of which give them better potential to score runs.

Derek Dietrich and Josh VanMeter come to mind. Both players offer a left-handed power bat and have shown the ability to cleanly field the position. While we said earlier that the Reds front office has scoffed at the idea of moving Nick Senzel to shortstop, he did have 28 starts at second base for Triple-A Louisville in 2018.

Geno hasn’t played a game at shortstop since 2018, but with the defensive shifts employed in today’s game, there’s plenty of times when we’ve seen Suárez shade to his left and setup where the shortstop would typically be playing.

Next. 3 Reds who will outperform their 2020 projections

If Freddy Galvis is unable to go, the Cincinnati Reds have options. None of the potential fits are ideal, but depth behind Galvis is scarce to say the least. Galvis hasn’t shown much durability since joining the Reds, but hopefully, the 30-year-old Venezuelan native is able to get back onto the field before the end of camp.

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