Cincinnati Reds encouraged by prospects throughout spring training
GOODYEAR, Ariz. – The Cincinnati Reds won’t have many rookies on their Opening Day roster, but the organization caught a glimpse of the future throughout the spring.
Elly De La Cruz showed he can do things nobody else can do, particularly the way he runs the bases. Christian Encarnacion-Strand impressed with his power to all fields. Matt McLain showed he’s not far from the big leagues with the way he crushes fastballs.
Then there is the energy from guys who are even further away from the majors. Last week infield prospect Carlos Jorge, who spent last year in rookie ball, helped jumpstart a four-run rally in the ninth inning for a spring training comeback win by beating out an infield single with a headfirst slide into first base.
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“That’s how they play,” said Shawn Pender, the Reds’ farm director. “That’s just who they are. I know we say this all the time, but that’s something you scout and sign, not something you teach. When you have guys like that around, it makes the other guys see and feel that energy too.”
The Reds committed to a complete rebuild last spring when they started trading veteran players off their roster. They had a fire sale at the trade deadline, swapping five veteran players for 11 prospects.
Spencer Steer made his Major League debut last September, the only prospect the Reds acquired who was at Triple-A, and the Reds should have more prospects graduate to the majors at some point this summer. The organization will exercise patience with player development, but the next wave of prospects will have a chance to prove themselves in the upper levels of the minor leagues.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had our own players at the upper levels,” Pender said. “From that standpoint, we should be more competitive there because it’s more of our own guys. Now I will tell you that we’re sending some guys probably to Triple-A that will be a challenge in a way that probably Triple-A hasn’t been for us for a while. There will be some guys that will probably struggle early, but it’s where they should be for the challenge that they need.”
As a result of entering a rebuild, the Reds have more depth throughout their farm system. From Baseball America’s rankings, nine of their top 10 prospects were acquired in the last 12 months.
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The Reds may have more talent at shortstop than any farm system from De La Cruz and McLain in the upper levels to Edwin Arroyo, who is expected to be the everyday starter in High-A. Noelvi Marte, acquired in the Luis Castillo trade like Arroyo, will spend more time at third base in Double-A.