Cincinnati Reds: Three dark horse candidates to make the taxi squad

1. Tyler Stephenson, Cincinnati Reds top catching prospect

While it’s true that Kyle Farmer filled in admirably during a period last season when both Tucker Barnhart and Curt Casali were on the injured list, the University of Georgia product will likely be tied up playing all over the infield in 2020. Tyler Stephenson was added to the 40-man roster last fall, and with no minor league season to speak of, it’s time to get him some reps in the big leagues.

While it’s unknown how adding a player to a team’s taxi squad will affect service time; who cares? The Reds have built a contender this season and service time issues should be thrown out the window. If Cincinnati’s front office believes that Stephenson can help the Reds win, then by golly he belongs on the taxi squad.

Stephenson would benefit greatly from just getting reps. The right-handed hitting catcher was expected to be the starting backstop for Triple-A Louisville this coming season. It’s unclear, but unlikely that we’ll see a minor league season, so even if Stephenson if never “called-up” to the bigs, just getting in some practice will be of great benefit to the 23-year-old.

Spending heading into 2021 will be lean. The coronavirus pandemic has halted baseball, causing losses in revenue for the Cincinnati Reds and every other major league team. If the Reds are looking to cut costs heading into next season, replacing Casali with Stephenson is a good place to start. That said, you’ll want to know what you’re getting, so it’s time to see what Stephenson can do.