Chad Pinder's splits make him the perfect platoon partner for this Reds player

The Cincinnati Reds added another bat to their roster this past week. Former Oakland A's utility player Chad Pinder signed a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training.

Pinder will have to earn his way onto the 40-man roster, but his seven years worth experience in the big leagues coupled with his defensive versatility make it quite likely that he'll be part of the Reds Opening Day roster.

Pinder, a right-handed hitter, has been very good against left-handed pitching in the past. Last season, Pinder posted a .727 OPS against southpaws. It's quite likely that Reds manager David Bell will pair Pinder with a current player who absolutely crushes right-handed pitching.

Look for the Reds to platoon Chad Pinder with Jake Fraley.

Chad Pinder's splits reveal that, if he makes the roster out of spring training, he won't be an everyday player. Pinder has a career slash line of .264/.322/.456 versus left-handed pitching. But the numbers drop off dramatically versus right-handers. In his career, Pinder has hit just .225/.272/.388 versus right-handed pitching.

Thankfully, the Cincinnati Reds have Jake Fraley on the roster. Acquired from the Seattle Mariners last season, Fraley battled injuries during the early-part of the 2022 season, but got things going in a positive direction after the All-Star break.

Last season, Fraley slashed .259/.344/.468 with 12 round trippers and 28 RBIs in just 216 at-bats. Against right-handed pitchers, Fraley posted an OPS of .861. However, when facing left-handed pitching, Fraley was able to muster a slash line of just .143/.226/.250.

Neither Chad Pinder or Jake Fraley can, on their own, hold down a regular spot in the Cincinnati Reds lineup. But, if you combine their splits from 2022, the duo would have hit .269 with 18 home runs while getting on base at a .313 clip. That'll do just nicely.