Reds spring training: Three young players with something to prove

GOODYEAR, FL - MARCH 11: A Cincinnati Reds Rawlings glove on the field during the Spring Training game against the Cleveland Indians. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)
GOODYEAR, FL - MARCH 11: A Cincinnati Reds Rawlings glove on the field during the Spring Training game against the Cleveland Indians. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)
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Jonathan India #85 of the Cincinnati Reds shags ground balls during a summer workout.
CINCINNATI, OH – JULY 10: Jonathan India #85 of the Cincinnati Reds shags ground balls during a summer workout. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

3. Jonathan India, Reds infielder

I’m sure Jonathan India feels like he’s unsure about his future. Cincinnati drafted India with the fifth-overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft just two years after drafting Nick Senzel with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. It was also less than a year removed from Eugenio Suárez signing a multi-year extension as the team’s starting third baseman.

India might be one of the most interesting players to follow during Reds spring training this March. The 24-year-old is a versatile fielder who projects as a second or third baseman. The last time Cincinnati had such a player (Senzel) they moved him to the outfield. What will the team do with India?

Unless the Reds are ready to trade Suárez, which I think would be a gigantic mistake, it’s hard to see Jonathan India as much more than a utility player on the 2021 roster. However, if an injury befalls Suárez, Mike Moustakas, or Kyle Farmer, calling up India makes the most sense.

There’s also the possibility that Jonathan India is dealt sometime this season. With Suárez looking to be the team’s starting third baseman for the foreseeable future and Moustakas under contract through 2023, it seems unlikely that India is going to get his shot. Shortstop could be a possibility, but the franchise seems committed to José García for the long haul.

If India bursts onto the scene during Reds spring training, I think there’s a chance the former Florida Gator could find a new home via trade sometime this season. India has all the tools to be a starting infielder in the majors, but I don’t know if he’ll get that opportunity with the Cincinnati Reds.

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