Who exactly is going to play third base for the Cincinnati Reds?

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — At this time last year, the Reds thought that they had the third base position covered for the next six seasons.

Noelvi Marte was supposed to be the complete package. After turning heads in the big leagues down the stretch of the 2023 season, Marte was going to be the Reds’ every day third baseman on Opening Day of 2024 and into the future.

You know how the season went from there for Marte. He got suspended, returned, hit .210 and was even worse in the field. Marte is still only 23, and he’ll get another shot at the position down the road. But he’s much further down the depth chart at the start of camp than he was last spring.

“We told him last year was kind of a lost year for him for a number of reasons,” Terry Francona said. “We understand that. This is not last year. We want him to go earn everything he gets. I told him that we hope you do it. Nobody’s rooting against you. You’ve got to go earn it. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

Francona has shared that message with a lot of the candidates to be the Reds’ third baseman this year.

Marte should be slated to start the season in Triple-A. He’s going through drills at spring training on the field with the prospects in big league camp as opposed to the regulars in the lineup. Everyone in camp is competing for a spot, but Marte probably needs more minor league reps to improve the quality of his at-bats and the consistency of his defense.

The issue for the Reds is that they haven’t really “replaced” Marte in the short-term. The only “third baseman” that they added during the offseason was Gavin Lux, who has played one big league game at third base.

No one has any clue who the Reds third baseman will be on Opening Day. It will be decided by how guys look in camp, who’s in the best shape, who looks good at that spot in spring training games and who stays healthy.

The candidates are Jeimer Candelario, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Lux and Santiago Espinal. Spencer Steer is probably not as much of a candidate as he could have been because of the issues he has had with his right shoulder.

None of these third base candidates are a sure thing.

Candelario was dealing with knee tendinitis last season, wasn’t moving well and played the third base position poorly. Encarnacion-Strand has only made four big league starts at third base and focused for the previous two years on his work at first base, where he has a good chance to be one of the best defensive first basemen in MLB.

The Dodgers moved Lux off of shortstop because of his inconsistent throwing arm. Espinal is a great defender, but how well can he hit?

It’s a wide open battle, and Francona wants to give these guys a fresh start.

“This is the Reds, and it’s 2025,” Francona said. “If somebody would have told me in the spring of 1988, ‘You (stunk) in Cincinnati, we’re not going to play you,’ that’s not fair. He has done a good job. He shows up, moves his feet and makes throws. They’ve got to go play.”

Candelario is the most experienced third baseman in the group. While he was very hot and cold at the plate last year, he was on pace for a 28 homer season before he suffered a season-ending toe injury.

The Reds signed him to a three-year, $45 million deal before the 2023 season and made Candelario their highest-paid position player because they saw value in his pop, his defensive versatility and his track record of working polished at-bats.

Candelario didn’t show those skills consistently last year, and recognized that he had to get in better shape entering 2025.

“The focus was trying to work my body the right way so I can be healthy all year,” Candelario said. “Putting little things together and putting myself in the best shape I can be. I try to control what I can control by working hard.”

The knee tendonitis really limited him last year, and Candelario hopes that being healthy will allow him to be as athletic as he was before he joined the Reds. He changed his diet, changed his offseason workout routine and looks slimmer entering 2025.

There’s a wide range of outcomes for how Candelario’s season is going to go. He was a top-100 player in MLB in 2023 when he played better defense, hit for more power and worked quality at-bats. In 2024, with the injury hampering him, Candelario was just a below-average first baseman.

Candelario still splits his time between first and third base, but Francona is looking forward to seeing how a healthier and more athletic Candelario handles third.

“Coming in, we really wanted to give (Canderlario) a shot to play third,” Francona said. “I don’t think it really worked out last year like they wanted to. To his credit, man, he came in looking good. So I want to give (Candelario a shot at third base) because if he can do that, it probably sets us up a little better.”

If Candelario is able to play third base, then the Reds can keep Encarnacion-Strand at his best position, which is first base. Spencer Steer can play in the outfield, Gavin Lux can be the DH and Espinal can be a utility player.

CES had a more impressive offseason than any of the other third base candidates, got more explosive and has made some highlight plays on the backfields at spring training. He changed his workout program, got more explosive and is splitting his time between first and third base.

If CES looks solid at third base, where he has barely played since 2022, then Candelario can slide over to first.

Lux is the most athletic player in this group. Just two years ago, he was the Dodgers’ shortstop of the future. He’s willing to play anywhere, has good defensive range and is a smart no-nonsense player.

The problem is that Lux didn’t stick at shortstop in LA because of the quality of his throws. The throw over from third base is even further.

If Lux isn’t able to play third base well, then he’ll have to learn first base, move to the outfield or be a full-time DH. The Reds were very confident in Lux’s bat when they traded for him. Their lineup didn’t have nearly enough punch in 2024, and Lux was the biggest offseason acquisition to improve the offense entering 2025. He’ll be in the lineup somewhere.

When asked about Lux’s throwing, Francona stresses that he’s going to give all of these third base candidates a blank slate.

“We’ll start him out at second and third and let him get his legs under him,” Francona said. “As we progress, we’ll see where that needs to go. Where we need it to go and where he needs to go. That’s what I told him. Whatever happened in LA, I don’t give a (darn).”

Espinal is a standout defender at third base, and he got hot down the stretch last season and was a solid starter in August and September. Still, he only posted a mere .650 OPS (well below league average) and had a WAR of -4.

All of these third base candidates have something to prove. The Reds will try to sort out this position battle over the course of the spring. There’s even a good chance that these third base candidates all get a shot early in the season because the Reds need to get a better sense of the options that they have available.

For more of Charlie’s coverage of spring training, stay posted here. Also, look out for some upcoming features with Cincinnati Magazine.