Santiago Espinal is coming off a -1.4 bWAR season, hitting .243/.292/.282 overall in 328 PA with the Cincinnati Reds. Garrett Hampson, meanwhile, went just 3-for-19 from the field during his brief stint with Cincinnati last season as part of three teams, shooting .143/.250/.169 overall. Then there’s Michael Chavez, who hasn’t had a single PA in the MLB since 2023, when he hit just .242/.281/.341 with the Washington Nationals.
Espinal, who was elected as a free agent after being eliminated at the end of the season, is the Reds’ primary utility infielder in 2025. While Eli De La Cruz played almost every inning at shortstop, Espinal got some time there (as well as Matt McLean sliding in to play short at 2B). So, that’s what we didn’t have last season. Hampson played just one game at shortstop during his brief time with the Reds, despite not starting at the position since 2023 with Miami, while Chavez – who spent 2025 in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons – has never pitched an inning of short ball at the major league level.
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That’s the current state of Cincinnati’s infield depth, both in terms of what’s missing from last year and what’s been added since last year — the pair of 31-year-olds really don’t have any chance at shortstop, and their overall defensive value has never been eye-popping in less important infield roles. Add to that the fact that none of them actually hit the ball, and you start to wonder what the hell the Reds are doing here.
We know the Reds want to give Elie more rest in 2026, whether that’s resting him in day games or keeping him in the DH rotation. I think the plan is to have McClain play short on those days, even though a) McClain looked like he needed a lot of days off last year and b) opens up a hole at 2B with no obvious replacement (unless Sal Stewart suddenly becomes more capable defensively).
That doesn’t seem to fit with the emphasis on defense that the front office has promoted since acquiring glove-only 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (and his long-term contract) last summer. It’s clear, then, that we’re in dire need of a glove-wearing player who can add value in the middle of the defense, and it’s always good for lineup building when that player can also switch.
And, now that you know what I’m going to say, there’s Edwin Arroyo on the 40-man roster who really does all of those things.
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There he is! On the list!
He also was coming off a brief stint with Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Puerto Rico Winter League, where he hit 22 for 62 (.355/.429/.468) in 16 games. That’s after he hit .284/.345/.371 overall last year at AA Chattanooga after losing 2024 to shoulder surgery, although from June 11 (the day he finally hit his first home run) through the end of the year, he hit .296/.356/.402 — accomplishing that with a paltry 13.0% K rate.
Arroyo is well known for his defensive prowess, and his overall talent had him on the top-100 prospect list three straight years before a shoulder injury cost him in 2024. As he comes off an otherwise losing year, his glove is rated the best in the 2024 Arizona Fall League by MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra. There’s a reason why some questioned at the time whether Arroyo or Noelvi Marte were the prize in the trade that sent Luis Castillo to the Seattle Mariners years ago.
His lack of time in AAA could be detrimental to him in the Reds organization. Many other teams — notably Atlanta and Arroyo’s old team in Seattle — have made a habit of promoting players directly from AA to the majors, though it’s not Cincinnati’s typical style. However, he’s now a year older than Elly was when he debuted, and 4 months older than Sal – who now has over 250 more professional PAs than Sal – so he’s not too young or inexperienced.
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There’s a good argument to be made that sending him to AAA at the start of 2026 is a prudent move, one that will continue to net him plenty of PA every day as he continues to shake off all the rust from a completely lost 2024 season. I get it, I know this is almost certainly going to happen. Still, we’re not that far away from the Reds suddenly deciding to take an aggressive approach against Jonathan India on Opening Day, and while a daily PA seems unlikely right now, it’s clear there’s a role now on the 26-man roster where Edwin’s profile is nearly perfect, even if he’s never shown the world his better side — and if he does, that’s another weapon the Reds could use starting with the first game of the season.
Barring once again bolstering the lineup with a proven utility infielder, it looks like Arroyo will head to Goodyear training camp in two weeks for a chance to really show the club he’s ready. If he does, there’s no one better suited to challenge for a spot on the Opening Day roster.