Reds: Forget trading for a shortstop, Jose Barrero is ready

Trevor Story and Andrelton Simmons are two of the most likely shortstops to be on the move at the trade deadline. While shortstop is a position of need for the Cincinnati Reds, their best option may be in-house. If the team deems an upgrade at shortstop to be necessary for a stretch run, Cincinnati should just recall Jose Barrero.

Barrero has been dismantling opposing pitching this season, both at Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. On the season, Barrero is hitting .303/.383/.509 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs in the minors this season.

Reds shortstop prospect Jose Barrero may make it back to the majors this year.

Jose Barrero, formerly Jose Garcia, was optioned to Double-A prior to the 2021 season. This was the expectation all along, as Barrero’s major league debut in 2020 showed that the youngster still needed to work on his approach at the plate.

I’m not sure what else the Reds’ brass needs to see, as Barrero has been hitting the cover off the ball after struggling out of the gates following his promotion to Triple-A. Since making the move to Triple-A Louisville, Barrero owns a 13.9% walk-rate and has reached base safely in his last 13 games. During that stretch, Barrero is hitting .370.

Now, here’s the catch, if the Cincinnati front office promotes Jose Barrero to The Show, this is it. There’s no fussing around with Eugenio Suarez, or Nick Senzel, or Kyle Farmer at shortstop. If and when the Reds finally make the decision to recall Barrero to the bigs, it’s got to be as the everyday shortstop. If they’re not willing to do that, then leave him in Louisville until September.

But, given how poorly the left side of the Redlegs’ infield has played this season, you’d think that Nick Krall would be ready to make the move yesterday. Both Suarez and Farmer are hitting below .230 and have an OPS of less than .650.

Jose Barrero has done what the Cincinnati Reds had asked; he’s readied himself to take on major league pitching. The right-handed hitting shortstop is bound to have some difficulties at first, but after watching how Tyler Stephenson and Jonathan India have performed during their rookie seasons, you know that the coaching staff is chomping at the bit to get Barrero up to the big leagues.