Reds prospect Edwin Arroyo could secure key role with WBC surge

Typically speaking, you'd like to see a budding young prospect stick with his club in a World Baseball Classic year as he hopes to break through and prove he is major league ready. However, for Edwin Arroyo and the Cincinnati Reds, there is a special set of circumstances that makes his commitment to team Puerto Rico seem like a golden opportunity.

Usually a powerhouse on the international stage, Puerto Rico was the federation hit hardest by the insurance issues that have become a major WBC subplot. The team almost pulled out of the tournament thanks to these setbacks, which excluded well-known stars Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa from being able to participate.

Without the veteran infielders, Arroyo has a massive opportunity to prove himself on the global stage. He'll be in line for a massive amount of playing time in Puerto Rico's infield, more so than he would have had he decided to hang back with Cincinnati, and he'll get to face off against the best the world has to offer.

By playing for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, Edwin Arroyo is positioning himself for a major role with the Reds in 2026

In the lower minors, Arroyo seemed to have the kind of balanced skillset that would ensure he'd find a big league role when the time came. Hitting 14 homers in 2022 and 13 dingers in 2023, the young switch-hitter showed he had decent enough pop for a middle infielder, while showing off some wheels on the bases with 27 and 29 steals, respectively. Add in some good contact balance from both sides and exceptional defense, and there was a lot to like.

However, the youngster had just risen to the Double-A ranks at the end of 2023, playing just four games at Chattanooga as he wrapped up his age-19 season. He then missed the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder to repair a torn labrum.

When he returned to Chattanooga last year, he logged 120 games and hit .284 with a .345 on-base percentage, but managed just three homers and a .371 slugging percentage. Now, another year removed from the procedure, the hope is that the 22-year-old will regain his power.

Star offseason acquisition Eugenio Suarez sees a lot of potential in the youngster, believing that he can become a superstar one day. Suarez was once in Arroyo's shoes as a Reds prospect who put up decent power numbers, but ultimately had to answer questions about his ability to impact the baseball with regularity. We all know how that turned out.

Once WBC action is in full swing in March, we'd usually see prospects like Arroyo reassigned to minor league camp or pushed further down the depth chart, only seeing playing time against non-MLB-caliber competition. However, due to the nature of Puerto Rico's roster, he'll get a heavy workload.

If he performs, he could show that he could be an answer for a serious void on Cincinnati's roster. After moving on from Gavin Lux this winter, there's no true utility infielder in the projected Opening Day lineup.

The Reds have a logjam at the corners, with Suarez, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Sal Stewart, and Spencer Steer all vying for time, but there is no one who can truly back up Elly De La Cruz or whom you trust to play high-level defense up the middle off the bench.

While he might not make the Opening Day roster, a strong showing in the WBC could put Arroyo in line for an early-season call-up. The Reds could decide that one of JJ Bleday and Will Benson is superfluous, and/or that Steer's ability to play the outfield makes Dane Myers unnecessary. At which point, the door will be open for Arroyo to walk through.

It's a unique but intriguing situation, and gives Reds fans an added reason to tune in whenever Team Puerto Rico takes the field a little later on this spring. One way or another, Arroyo has a ton of potential, and this will determine how close he is to getting the opportunity to realize it.