5 moves from the Cincinnati Reds 2021 season that didn't work out

The Cincinnati Reds 2021 season did not end as we'd all hoped. That said, if you'd have told me before the season began that Cincinnati would be in contention during the month of September, I'd have told you that you were off your rocker.

Instead, the Reds put forth a valiant effort in 2021 and finished with a winning record. Cincinnati was one of the most pleasant surprises last season, but the team's performance lagged behind that of the St. Louis Cardinals during the final month of the season and the Redlegs were left out in the cold.

Rather than looking forward to what might be in 2022, let's take a retrospective look back at the 2021 season and pinpoint some of the flaws in Cincinnati's unsuccessful attempt to make a run at the postseason. Here are five moves that just didn't work out for Nick Krall, David Bell, and the Cincinnati Reds organization in 2021.

1. The Reds attempted to move Eugenio Suárez to shortstop.

At the time, I think most of Reds Country was on board with the idea of moving former shortstop Eugenio Suárez from third base back to the position he had played earlier in his career. While defensive miscues were certain to be part of the equation, Cincinnati was willing to sacrifice defense for offense.

The problem was, Suárez never provided the offense. After a successful campaign in 2019 that nearly saw the Venezuelan lead the league in homers, the past two seasons have been an unmitigated disaster for Geno at the plate.

Suárez slashed just .198/.286/.428 with 31 bombs and 79 runs batted in. That, coupled with Geno's .202/.312/.470 slash line from the year before have many Reds fans questioning what to expect from Suárez in 2022.

While shifting Geno from third base to shortstop did not work out, the move did allow former first-round pick Jonathan India to show what he was made of. All India did was become the Reds table-setter and earn Rookie of the Year honors.

Moving Eugenio Suárez to shortstop was not a success, but we found out that Kyle Farmer was more than able to hold down the position. Look for Farmer and Jose Barrero to share shortstop duties in 2022 while Suárez will likely open the season as the Cincinnati Reds starting third baseman.