What new infielder Santiago Espinal brings to the Reds
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — During the MLB playoffs last year, new Cincinnati Reds reliever Emilio Pagán took note of the second baseman on the team he was facing. Pagán played for the Minnesota Twins, and new Reds second baseman Santiago Espinal was a utility player for the Toronto Blue Jays.
“He seemed to be a guy that everyone in Toronto wanted to be around,” Pagán said. “A lot of the energy seemed to come from him, which is very telling on a team with Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and everyone else they had who are superstars. When a guy like Santiago Espinal seems to be the guy that’s driving the energy, that says a lot about the person he is.”
Last Wednesday, the Reds acquired Espinal in a deal with the Blue Jays and added some badly needed infield depth. On the Blue Jays, Espinal had been passed over on the depth chart by prospect Ernie Clement, which put Espinal on the trading block.
During his four years with the Blue Jays, Espinal was a fan favorite and a vocal leader in the clubhouse. Now, he’s bringing that energy to Cincinnati.
“I’m just here to help,” Espinal said. “I’m here to be there for everyone. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this group of guys. They’re all together. They’re all a family here. That’s where I’m at.”
Espinal heard some of this from former Reds first baseman Joey Votto, who was briefly teammates with Espinal for a few weeks in Blue Jays spring training. Recently, at a team dinner, Espinal sat next to Votto and picked his brain. When Espinal got dealt to the Reds, Votto texted him that he was going to love Cincinnati.
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“He told me I was going to a great place,” Espinal said. “This team right here is special. I heard a lot of good things.”
Espinal has been a slightly below league average hitter for his position during his big league career, and his biggest calling card is his defense. At the start of the season, the plan is for Espinal to receive consistent playing time. He’s able to play second base, third base and shortstop.
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For most games, Espinal, center fielder Stuart Fairchild and first baseman Nick Martini will be in consideration for one spot in the lineup. Espinal, a right-handed batter, makes a lot of contact and plays standout infield defense, Fairchild is more of a line drive hitter who plays good defense in the outfield and Martini is a left-handed power bat. The spot in the lineup will be shaped by what the Reds need the most that day, and these three players will also fill in on off days for the eight mainstays in the lineup.
“(Espinal) is a good player,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He had a better season two years ago. Like every player, different challenges come up. He may have had a down year last year. Everything people have seen in the spring, he’s back to doing the things he did two years ago. He’ll play on a regular basis and be a part of the mix.”In 2022, Espinal had a strong start to the season, made the AL All-Star team and finished the year with a .267 batting average and a .692 OPS. Last year, he had a .248 batting average and a .644 OPS. During a down year at the plate, Espinal’s role decreased from every day playing time to a platoon role where he mostly made starts against left-handed pitching.
Last year, Espinal started the second game of the Blue Jays’ playoff series against the Minnesota Twins and went 2-for-2.
“He’s a major league baseball player,” Pagán said. “He’s very consistent. He plays hard.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Santiago Espinal brings defense, versatility and energy to the Reds
