Cincinnati Reds: 3 players most affected if universal DH is eliminated

2. Tyler Stephenson, Reds catcher

Surprised to see Tyler Stephenson on this list? Don’t be. I’m convinced the Cincinnati Reds will enter spring training with three catchers. Look for Stephenson, Curt Casali and Tucker Barnhart to all be on the roster when the team descends onto Goodyear in February. Will they all be on the Reds Opening Day roster? Maybe, but the lack of a DH complicates matters.

I’m with the majority of Reds Country in thinking that Stephenson belongs in the big leagues, but I’m not yet ready to anoint him as the successor to Tucker Barnhart and Curt Casali. We saw how valuable both were this past season. Casali’s battery mates rave about his ability to call a game and Barnhart may take home his second Gold Glove in a few days.

That said, Tyler Stephenson proved himself more than capable of being able to handle major league pitching. Stephenson went yard in his first at-bat and there may not have been a bigger home run this season than his pinch hit round-tripper in extra innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

We’ve seen the Los Angeles Dodgers utilize the best of both worlds this season with the defensive-minded Austin Barnes behind the dish while rookie backstop Will Smith occupied the designated hitter role more times than not. If the DH was around next season, the role Smith occupied this season would be right up Stephenson’s alley.

My fear is that the Reds hang onto both Casali and Barnhart at the expense of keeping Stephenson at Triple-A. That would be a severe mismanagement of the young catcher’s talents. However, I understand the reasoning. Might the Reds move on from Casali or Barnhart this offseason. I doubt it, but it could be on the table.