Reds' Terry Francona may have the chops to make this unpopular, but sensible change

The Cincinnati Reds have a lot of infielders (again). But if last year taught the Cincinnati fanbase anything, it's that you can never have enough infielders. All too quickly Reds fans forget that players like Mike Ford, Amed Rosario, and Dom Smith were part of Cincinnati's starting lineup in 2024.

But much of that was due to the fact that Cincinnati's roster was decimated by injuries. Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Jeimer Candelario missed giant chunks of time on the IL, and Noelvi Marte was suspended for the first 81 games.

The Reds looked to have plenty of infield depth heading into the upcoming season, but the front office swung a trade for Gavin Lux earlier this week. As such, the Reds once again have a glut of infielders on the roster. How will new Reds manager Terry Francona allocate playing time next season?

Reds' Terry Francona has the chops to move Elly De La Cruz to third base

While it's been suggested by Reds' President of Baseball Operations that Lux can play all over the field, he's best suited for second base. The problem is, McLain is as well. While both Lux and McLain have the ability to move around the diamond, most baseball players prefer to have a consist place in the lineup and on the field.

So rather than shuffle the infield on a regular basis, perhaps Francona will do the sensible thing and move Elly De La Cruz to third base. Now, there are those within the Reds fanbase who'll beat the table and claim that he's should be the starting shortstop. Still others believe that De La Cruz (and his cannon for a right arm) are best suited for the outfield. But moving De La Cruz a few steps to his right would be rather prudent, don't you think?

Shifting De La Cruz to the hot corner would solve one of the Reds' biggest problems: third base. Candelario's defense was atrocious at third base last season, and Marte's performance in 2024 virtually guarantees a ticket to Louisville to begin the season.

Moving Elly De La Cruz to third base would allow Matt McLain & Gavin Lux to play their natural positions

Moving De La Cruz to third base, where he could still be a terrific defender, would allow McLain to man shortstop (a position he's very familiar with) and rotate the pair of Lux and Santiago Espinal at second base based on the pitching matchup. Lux excels against right-handed pitching, while Espinal is a far better hitter when facing southpaws.

Flipping De La Cruz to third base would solidify the left side of the infield and also allow the pair of Candelario and Encarnacion-Strand to split duties between first base and DH. The move itself isn't complicated, and it's not as if De La Cruz hasn't played third base in the past. Many talented shortstops have switched positions, including Manny Machado, Alex Rodriguez, and Cal Ripken Jr.

But Krall has maintained all offseason that De La Cruz will be the Reds starting shortstop. That said, Francona's track record and time around the game may provide the voice of reason if making the change is in the best interest of the ball club. Fans will have to wait until spring training to see how the infield situation plays out.

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