Kyle Farmer should move to second base when Jose Barrero returns from the IL

Jose Barrero recently began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville and one would think the Cincinnati Reds shortstop is close to making it back to the big leagues. When Barrero returns from the IL, Kyle Farmer should shift to second base.

Barrero had surgery on his left wrist prior to the start of the 2022 season. The 24-year-old experienced a minor setback during the recovery process, but he's now four games into his rehab assignment with the Louisville Bats and hitting .286 through 14 at-bats.

The Reds should move Kyle Farmer to 2B when Jose Barrero returns.

Kyle Farmer has been a fan-favorite in Reds Country for some time now. The former Los Angeles Dodgers' catching prospect has turned himself into more than a serviceable utility player. But, the future of the Cincinnati Reds infield is Jose Barrero.

The knock on Barrero, at least from some of the fanbase, has been that he's yet to prove able to hit against major league pitching. There's some truth to that, as the Cuban has a career slash line in the big leagues of just .197/.242/.248. But Barrero only has 117 at-bats to his credit and more than half came in the truncated 2020 season before the shortstop had even faced Double-A pitching.

The Reds owe it Jose Barrero to see if he has the goods to be the team's starting shortstop going forward. With Jonathan India likely out of action for another several weeks, once Barrero is deemed ready to go, Cincinnati should shift Kyle Farmer to second base. This would allow Barrero to get consistent playing time at shortstop.

Once India returns to the lineup, Farmer can them resume his role as the team's top utility infielder. The Georgia native has the ability to play all four infield spots and even setup behind the dish if need be.

Matt McLain will factor into the equation sometime in the near future as well. But the Reds will need to see if Jose Barrero has what it takes to be Cincinnati's everyday shortstop. If he does, a position change for McLain may be in order.