Cincinnati Reds: Matt Davidson’s power could earn him a roster spot

Matt Davidson’s power landed him a minor-league contract with the Cincinnati Reds this offseason, and it may land him a spot on the big league roster.

The fight for the final spot on the Cincinnati Reds roster will be an interesting one to watch. We all know that Kyle Farmer is virtually assured of a spot on the Reds bench, but who’s going to get that last spot. A player that no one is talking about is Matt Davidson. If Eugenio Suárez‘s injury lingers into the regular season, Davidson could find a spot on the roster.

Kyle Farmer has separated himself from the rest of the Reds bench players. While Farmere doesn’t play the outfield, his ability to pick up a glove and play all four infield spots, plus put on the catcher’s gear and crouch behind the plate, make Farmer one of the most valuable player on the Cincinnati Reds.

However, behind Farmer, there appears to be a race for the final spot among a clustered group of infielders. Derek Dietrich, Josh VanMeter and Alex Blandino are vying for the other utility role. You could probably throw Christian Colón’s name into the mix as well, but he appears much more of long shot.

The player not getting much recognition this spring, however, is third baseman Matt Davidson. The former Chicago White Sox infielder didn’t play in the big leagues last season, but has quietly put together a nice spring. Davidson is hitting .308/.400/.692 with two doubles and home run.

Davidson’s round-tripper came in yesterday’s Cactus League game against the Oakland Athletics. Davidson hit 33 homers last season for Triple-A Nashville and had 46 home runs in 2017-2018 for the White Sox.

Matt Davidson can hit for power, but hitting for average is not his strong suit. The right-handed slugger has a career-batting average of .226 and an on-base percentage below .300. Those are two areas of his game that will limit Davidson’s chances of making the 26-man roster out of Goodyear.

Davidson, much like VanMeter and Dietrich, can also play first base. While Joey Votto is the starting first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds heading into 2020, Davidson offers something that VanMeter and Dietrich do not; a right-handed bat. David Bell, via MLB.com, spoke about Davidson’s ability after Friday’s game:

"“We know he has power. He’s impressed us with the way that he can play first and third base. … We saw today what he’s capable of.”"

Bell has spoken highly about his players this spring, so I wouldn’t read too much into what he said following yesterday’s contest with the A’s. However, if Eugenio Suárez, who’s still rehabbing following shoulder surgery, is unable to go once March 26th rolls around, I wouldn’t discount Davidson’s chances of making the roster.

As it stands now, I’d give the nod to Derek Dietrich for the final roster spot, with Josh VanMeter nipping at his heels. Matt Davidson, however, is certainly a player to consider, especially with a career-slugging percentage of .432. Power is something you can’t teach.