Reds' infield questions (and clutter) remain after Jonathan India trade

The Cincinnati Reds' trade for Brady Singer did two things; it added an experienced back-of-the-rotation starting pitcher to the roster and helped to declutter the infield (a little bit).

And while most Reds fans will miss seeing Jonathan India in the lineup, the truth of the matter is that Cincinnati's infield was far too crowded to begin with. This was a problem last spring, but the 80-game suspension doled out to Noelvi Marte and early-season injuries incurred by Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand tested Cincinnati's infield depth.

The hope heading into the 2025 season is that Marte keeps his nose clean and both McLain and CES are back to 100% when spring training begins in February. But even with India gone, there's still some questions about who will play where next season.

Reds' infield questions (and clutter) remain after Jonathan India trade

Not every infield position is spoken for, but Reds fans can assume that McLain will replace India at the keystone and Elly De La Cruz will take up his mantle at shortstop. But both corner infield positions present more questions than answers.

As far as first base is concerned, one might assume that Encarnacion-Strand could split time during the early-going with last year's free agent acquisition, Jeimer Candelario. But, depending on how the Reds' roster is filled out during the offseason, Spencer Steer could get a look at first base as well.

Speaking of Steer, while he's not the best defender, he could log some time at third base as well. Though Marte is arguably best suited for the position, his defensive lapses last season were rather egregious. That, coupled with a poor performance at the dish, will likely see last year's rookie begin the year in the minor leagues.

Who will play third base for the Reds in 2025?

In addition to Steer, both Encarnacion-Strand and Candelario have experience at the hot corner, though utility infielder Santiago Espinal may be the team's best defensive third baseman. The long and short of it is, the Reds still have a lot to figure out when it comes to the construction of their infield despite the fact that India is no longer on the roster.

These things have a way of sorting themselves, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Cincinnati look to add another infielder during the winter months. Reds fans needn't look much further than just last spring to know that a team's strength can quickly turn into a weakness. But if everyone is healthy, new Reds manager Terry Francona will have some major decisions to make before Opening Day.

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