Reds fans won’t believe who’s suddenly thriving with the Dodgers

The Cincinnati Reds quietly moved on from Santiago Espinal during the offseason. After a down-year, the Reds outrighted Espinal to Triple-A, and he eventually elected free agency. The former All-Star latched on with the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this winter, and he's been magnificent through his first six spring training games.

Espinal's glove has never been in question, but he struggled to swing the bat in 2025. In 114 games, he hit just .243/.292/.282 with a 58 wRC+. The Reds 40-man roster was already crowded with the likes of Matt McLain and Sal Stewart, and with the additions of Edwin Arroyo and Leo Balcazar, it was hard to see where Espinal fit into the team's long-term plans.

Ex-Reds infielder Santiago Espinal finds success with the Dodgers

Espinal has appeared in six Cactus League games for the Dodgers this spring and is hitting a ridiculous .571/.667/.714 with six singles and a pair of doubles. Reds fans know all too well that Espinal's game is predicated on contact, and he seems to be finding his swing this spring out at Camelback Ranch.

At the moment, it sounds as though Espinal will be part of the Dodgers Opening Day roster. According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, he can't a scenario where Espinal doesn’t open the season in the majors with LA. The skipper used the term "seamlessly" to describe how well Espinal is fitting in with his new teammates.

Espinal was a favorite of Reds manager Terry Francona last season. Though Tito may have shown a bit too much favoritism at times, and put Espinal in situations where he was doomed to fail. One could argue the Reds kept him around a little longer than they should've, even though it meant keeping Stewart at Triple-A for an extra week.

Obviously Reds fans don't hold any ill-will toward Espinal. He filled in when the team needed him most in 2024 after McLain went down with a shoulder injury. But his lack of production (and Francona's incessant need to play him almost every day) became a source of consternation for the Cincinnati faithful last season.

Espinal is likely to be the primary backup infielder for the Dodgers in 2026, but with Hye-Seong Kim out out of action, he may even find his way into the starting lineup on Opening Day.