5 Reds players who had success after switching positions

The Cincinnati Reds have a problem. It's a great problem to have, but a problem nonetheless. The Reds have too many talented infielders that are demanding of a spot in the lineup, but only four spots in the infield. This kind of problem oftentimes results in a player or players switching positions.

With the impending promotion of Elly De La Cruz to the major league roster, the Reds likely will move an infielder or two into the outfield. Reds fans have seen this recently with Nick Senzel moving to center field, only to return to third base. Even more recently, Jose Barrero has been moved from shortstop to the outfield.

The Reds are no strangers to moving players to different positions. Sometimes it works very well, and other times it's an epic failure. With a likely position change for one of the Reds talented infielders on the horizon, let's look at five examples when the Cincinnati Reds got it right.

1. Former Reds shortstop Eugenio Suarez had success after switching to third base.

The most success that comes to mind when speaking about changing positions is former Cincinnati Reds slugger, Eugenio Suarez. Now with the Seattle Mariners, Geno originally came up as a shortstop.

In his first two major league seasons, including his first in Cincinnati, Suarez played up the middle of the infield, seeing time a third base just three times. Suarez's time at shortstop while with the Reds was primarily due to the fact that the team's everyday shortstop Zack Cozart suffered a major injury.

Suarez made the move to third base in 2016 after the Reds traded All-Star third baseman Todd Frazier to the Chicago White Sox during the previous offseason. Suarez had some big shoes to fill, as Frazier was a two-time All-Star and had won the Home Run Derby during his final season in Cincinnati.

Suarez would become a staple at the hot corner, playing 662 games at third base and only six games at shortstop from 2016 to 2020. During his final season in Cincinnati, the Reds made an attempt to move Suarez back to shortstop, but that didn't go too well. He was eventually moved back to third base in 2021 and replaced at shortstop by Kyle Farmer.

During his Cincinnati Reds career, Eugenio Suarez slugged 189 home runs and 828 total hits. The switch to third base was a massive success for Suarez and the Reds.