08-07-2022, 01:08 PM
(08-07-2022, 12:14 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Barrero is huge to the Reds future. It will be crippling blow if this injury ruins his career.
Reds tried him in the outfield last year. I don't care where he ends up but we need him to develop. His still has big star potential.
Last year combined in AA and AAA he hit .303/.380/.539 with 19 HR and 16 SB in just 330 at bats.
I doubt it ruins his career. He's a good enough defensive shortstop to justify patience with his plate performance. If he can return to what he was pre-injury as an offensive player, then he's a star in the league.
They have a lot of shortstops, but to me only Barrero and Arroyo have the defensive skills to hold the position down on a long-term basis. Marte is still rumored to be growing into his body, and has lost some speed and quickness in the process per scouting reports. de la Cruz is a freak athlete, but it's just hard to imagine a guy who's 6-5 being a long term shortstop, although the Pirates have a young SS that size at the MLB level right now, so who knows? McClain has always seemed like a guy who would be moved to another position eventually.
That's the rub with shortstop prospects. They tend to be the best athletes on a given team at younger levels of baseball. It seems that more often than not, these guys get weeded out in farm systems when they come up against other high end SS prospects with more refined defensive skills. The good thing is that these guys usually have the arm and glove to play almost anywhere but catcher.
it will all work itself out in time, but I'd like to see Barrero stick at short rather than be moved to an OF spot. He looks really smooth out there.
