3 players Christian Encarnacion-Strand could replace on the Reds roster

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While Cincinnati Reds prospect Elly De La Cruz may be the biggest name in minor league baseball at the moment, his fellow Louisville Bats teammate Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been putting together quite an impressive resumé himself.

It's hard not to talk about De La Cruz without mentioning Encarnacion-Strand in the same sentence. There's been a game of oneupmanship all season at Triple-A Louisville.

The only real advantage that De La Cruz possesses over Encarnacion-Strand is a spot on the Reds 40-man roster. But that can be easily fixed. When Cincinnati finally makes the decision to call-up Encarnacion-Strand, who will he replace on the Reds roster?

1. Christian Encarnacion-Strand could replace Stuart Fairchild on the Reds roster.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand is an infielder by trade, but that doesn't mean the Cincinnati Reds can't clear a roster spot by sending one of their outfielders down to the minor leagues. While Will Benson is back from Triple-A for the second time this season, he'll go back once Wil Myers comes off the IL. The most likely candidate to join him would be Stuart Fairchild.

Both Encarnacion-Strand and Fairchild are both right-handed hitters, so Reds manger David Bell would not be losing any flexibility based on the pitching matchups. Fairchild may be the more patient of the two hitters, but the type of damage that Encarnacion-Strand can inflict on a baseball is second to none.

The defensive flexibility of players like Spencer Steer, Nick Senzel, and even Matt McLain would allow for the Reds to get their best nine bats in the lineup based on the pitching matchup.

Stuart Fairchild is a fine fourth outfielder who provides positional flexibility and speed on the base paths. While Fairchild also has some pop in his bat, it's not even close to the power Encarnacion-Strand has. Unless he catches fire in the next few weeks, Fairchild's time with the big league club could be nearing an end.

2. Christian Encarnacion-Strand could replace Wil Myers on the Reds roster.

This a probably a move that most of Reds Country can get behind. However, it seems like the most unlikely move the Cincinnati Reds front office will make. Why? Because the Reds would have to designate Myers for assignment and then be on the hook for the remainder of his salary after inking him to a one-year/$7.5-million deal during the offseason.

The Reds were probably hopeful, before the season began, that Myers would play well in the hitter-friendly surroundings of Great American Ball Park. If that happened, just like Tyler Naquin or Tommy Pham a year ago, the Reds could then flip Myers to a contender at the trade deadline.

But, with Myers hitting below .200 on the season and his on-base percentage not even above .300, it's going to be hard for the Reds to get anything more than cash considerations for the 32-year-old's services by the time the trade deadline swings around.

Wil Myers currently occupies an everyday role with the club, so swapping the veteran for Christian Encarnacion-Strand might be the most productive way to get the prospects bat into the lineup on a regular basis.

While it's certainly on the table, if you're looking at getting Encarnacion-Strand up to the bigs before August 1st, this feels like the least likely option. After signing him as a free agent last winter, the Reds are likely looking to recoup something from Myers at the trade deadline, even if that means delaying Encarnacion-Strand's big league debut until later this summer.

3. Christian Encarnacion-Strand could replace Curt Casali on the Reds roster.

The same notion surrounding Wil Myers probably holds true for Curt Casali as well. The Cincinnati Reds are unlikely to just let Casali for nothing, but if another club comes looking for a veteran backstop as the trade deadline approaches, Nick Krall could try to flip the catcher or a low-tier prospect.

The Reds intentionally signed both Casali and Luke Maile during the offseason in order to give Tyler Stephenson a break from squatting behind the dish. After seeing Stephenson hit the IL three times last season and churning through seven different starting catchers, the Reds refused to go down that road again in 2023.

The problem is, Stephenson is hitting well and the idea of carrying three catchers is beginning to look rather ridiculous. Between the three of them, each tends to gather two starts per week.

Curt Casali is a fine catcher, but he does not possess the same type of hitting fans have seen this season from Luke Maile. The University of Kentucky product has handled the lumber quite well this season, and there's a chance that Maile could be viewed as a longer team option as a backup catcher.

As with Wil Myers, moving on from Casali may be something the Reds would explore closer to the trade deadline. If the Reds are in no rush to promote Christian Encarnacion-Strand to the major league roster, perhaps the team waits until closer to the end of July, finds a trade partner for Curt Casali, and then calls up the infield prospect.

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