The ‘by design’ infield logjam created by the Cincinnati Reds has garnered much of the spotlight this winter, as the free agent addition of Jeimer Candelario to the youthful mix created a bit of a playing time conundrum. With Jeimer, Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Jonathan India, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Noelvi Marte all in the mix, it’s hard to see a path to everyday playing time for all of them, even with the presence of the designated hitter in the National League.
That doesn’t even get to Spencer Steer, either - the guy who led the Reds in dingers last year while logging 395 of his 582 PA as an infielder.