Despite the vast influx of young talent seen on the 2023 Cincinnati Reds, it was TJ Friedl who was truly the breakout star. He led the team in bWAR (3.8), showed he could hit lefties, and cemented himself as the team’s leadoff hitter throughout the season, his combination of speed, defense, and competent power something of a prototype CF.
Thing is, while the Reds built in failsafes on their roster all over the infield and at the corner outfield positions, CF was the place where they probably had the least depth. So while the suspension of Noelvi Marte and the various injuries to both Matt McLain and Jonathan India over recent months raised a few eyebrows, any injury to Friedl in CF would likely be met with much more concern given the lack of true options to step into that role.