Reds: Gauging depth at shortstop after adding Dee Strange-Gordon

Dee Strange-Gordon is a questionable addition for the Reds.

Several teams could use a player like Dee Strange-Gordon on their team. The Cincinnati Reds are not one of them. Strange-Gordon is a fine player who’s had a solid career. In 2015, Strange-Gordon led the league in hits (205), stolen bases (58), and batting average (.333). Since that time, Strange-Gordon’s numbers have been average at best.

In the five years since his back-to-back All-Star campaigns, Dee Strange-Gordon has a slash line of .280/.311/.352 with 120 RBIs. While known for his speed on the base paths, the game has changed so much that the stolen base is a lost art in Major League Baseball, and very few teams even utilize a player’s ability to swipe a bag in favor of analytics.

Could the addition of Dee Strange-Gordon be part of bigger plan for the Cincinnati Reds? There’ve been rumors throughout the offseason that Cincinnati was looking to move Mike Moustakas’ contract off the books. Might adding Strange-Gordon give Nick Krall the ability to feel confident trading away last year’s prized free agent addition?

Strange-Gordon would be an adequate second baseman, and player you could platoon with Nick Senzel who has a ton of experience playing on the infield dirt. I know I’m spitballing here, but perhaps the addition of Dee Strange-Gordon is part of a bigger plan. Or, it could just be Cincinnati trying their hand at adding a journeyman to fill a need while not spending a ton of money.