Reds notebook: The lineup, the depth chart and news from Day 1

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Typically, the first day of spring training is about setting the stage for a lot of internal competition. In previous years, aside from a few select spots like Elly De La Cruz at shortstop, just about every role on the Reds has been up for grabs.

This year, so much more is set.

There will be battles, like the Reds’ search for a No. 2 hitter. But there’s a really good feel for how the roster is going to function.

Tyler Stephenson is the starting catcher, and Jose Trevino is a very strong backup. Eugenio Suárez is the DH, Matt McLain will play second base, Elly De La Cruz will play shortstop and Ke’Bryan Hayes is the primary third baseman. Noelvi Marte is the right fielder, and TJ Friedl is the center fielder. The most likely outcome looks like Sal Stewart will be playing a lot of first base and Spencer Steer will often be in left, and Will Benson, JJ Bleday and Dane Myers can compete for bigger roles as useful bench players.

There will be a rotation battle between Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder and Brandon Williamson, but most of the rotation is set. The one area that’s still very fluid is the bullpen, which returns last year’s seventh, eighth and ninth inning guys while adding three experienced high-leverage relievers during the offseason (rookies like Connor Phillips and Zach Maxwell could also earn their way up the depth chart).

The biggest question right now is who hits between leadoff hitter TJ Friedl (one of the best on-base guys in MLB) and No. 3 hitter Elly De La Cruz.

“We’ll have to figure out who hits second,” Terry Francona said. “We want to have somebody to break up Elly and TJ. It needs to be someone right-handed. My first thought is (Noelvi) Marte, but he struggles against lefties. We’ve got to figure some things out. We haven’t played a game yet. Those are things I think about.”

Marte hit second for most of the stretch run last year. He also posted a .562 OPS vs. LHP last season, so that’s an area he will have to improve.

Francona mentioned Stewart and Steer as other candidates to hit second.

Technically, Stewart is a rookie competing for a spot on the team. But there’s plenty of buzz around a slugger who has said that he’s looking to win NL Rookie of the Year.

“He’s an advanced hitter for young kid,” Francona said. “He’s not just going to get singles. He’s going to do some damage.”

The manager was asked what the addition of Suárez can do for Stewart. Francona responded, “It could be the other way around — what does Sal do for Suárez? He can be a pretty good hitter.”

The Reds spent most of last year looking for a cleanup hitter. Francona slotted whoever was hottest behind De La Cruz, and the Reds’ All-Star shortstop didn’t get a ton of protection behind him in the lineup. As a result, De La Cruz saw significantly more breaking balls and fewer pitchers inside of the strike zone.

Adding Suárez should really help De La Cruz.

“It’s a presence in the middle of the order,” Francona said. “That usually makes people in front of you and behind you better. We were mixing and matching so much last year trying to protect Elly. We were doing it with younger guys. It seemed like whenever we did it, whoever we moved would struggle a bit (because) you start to become a focal point for other teams.”

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The specifics of Steer’s role will likely be sorted out on pretty much a daily basis. He’ll be able to play first base (where he’s a Gold Glove finalist), second base (he’s the favorite to back up Matt McLain), left field and right field. The Reds’ best offensive lineup has Stewart at first and Steer in left.

Francona said, “Nobody knows how we’re going to break camp. If (Steer) can play second and left… we should be able to cover it. If everyone is healthy, might not be utility role (he can play LF). The issue is he’s such a good first baseman. We’ll need to think that through.”

Obviously, Steer would be able to start the game in left and slide to first if the Reds have the lead and want to get their best defensive lineup on the field late in games.

Noelvi Marte will get some work in center field this spring. He has the tools to do it, and center fielders who are good at the plate and in the field are one of the hardest things to find in MLB. TJ Friedl is the Reds’ center fielder, which Francona reiterated on Monday. But taking a bigger picture view, it doesn’t hurt to see what you have there with Marte.

Also, Friedl will take some reps in left (that could be useful on a day where Myers is in center field).

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The main camp battles:

Burns, Lowder and Williamson are vying for the fifth spot in the rotation. Last spring, Burns pitched in one total inning of a big league spring training game. He’s in a much different position this spring. While he has room to grow, Burns has proven that he can get any MLB hitter out.

“They look like they belong, and they feel like they belong,” Francona said. “Sometimes with that comes an even better player.”

The bench isn’t set. Benson, Bleday and Myers are the most established. Benson had an underrated 2025 season, Bleday was great in 2024 and is a bounce back candidate and Myers is a defensive playmaker who hits LHP very well.

Rece Hinds really cut down his strikeout rate in Triple-A during the second half of last season. If that carries over, the upside that his power creates gives you a lot to consider. Blake Dunn had a terrific second half of the season in Triple-A, and he’s an elite runner. Dunn can compete with Myers to be a right-handed center field option in the mix. If the Reds want another style of player on their bench, Tyler Callihan has offensive punch and versatility when he’s healthy.

In the bullpen, Phillips has put himself in a very good spot with his dominant September in 2025. That could leave one spot for Maxwell, Sam Moll, Lyon Richardson, Tejay Antone and other non-roster invites.

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Terry Francona spoke with Nick Lodolo about pitching in the WBC.

“The pitchers are what I’d worry about,” Francona said. “I talked to Lodolo a few times. I told him, if you’re dying to do it, I’ll support you. I’m just worried. I’ve seen guys come back and not be the same. I want you to be wealthy as hell. Maybe there will be a day down the road where you have 50 million in the bank and go ahead and do it.”

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The real news of the day: Everyone on the 40-man roster is healthy.

That includes Emilio Pagán and Tony Santillan. However, since they pitched in so many high-stress situations in 2025, they might not get into spring training games right away this year.

“We’ll slow play them a little,” Derek Johnson said. “We need to give them a bit of time on the front end to build and maybe not be in games right away. They’ll be itching. We’ll play that by ear and give them a say.”

The Reds aren’t planning to use (overuse) Pagán and Santillan nearly as much in 2025, which is why the front office prioritized adding proven middle relief depth with pitchers like Caleb Ferguson, Pierce Johnson and Brock Burke.

“There’s some versatility,” Johnson said. “We have left-handers who can help us out and actually a couple of them are pretty good against right-handed hitters as well. There are a lot of moving parts, but there are a lot of possibilities.”