Reds manager David Bell talks Jonathan India, Elly De La Cruz and club's infield plans

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell’s plans for the team’s starting lineup in 2024 wouldn’t work without players like Jonathan India.

Bell said that there’s a fine line that every player has to balance. Bell said that he wants players who want to be in the lineup every day and establish themselves in a defined role. He also wants players who are willing to play different positions and make certain sacrifices for the good of the team.

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Over the last four years, Bell said that he has seen India handle all of that the right way.

“He’s 100% in on what we have here as a team,” Bell said on Wednesday during the Reds Caravan. “There has been, if anything, a little more of a shift toward ‘I am going to do whatever I have to do to be on the field and help our team win. Whatever that takes.’ He just wants to be on the field and in the lineup as much as possible. Obviously, he’s a second baseman. Depending on how things shape out, to be able to get him on the field as much as he wants to be and as much as we want him to be, there may be other positions he’s going to need to play.”

India’s role has changed as much as anyone’s. Between 2021 and 2023, he was the Reds’ everyday second baseman. In 2024, as the Reds plan to mix in more at-bats for players like Jeimer Candelario, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Noelvi Marte, India could make his first starts at first base and left field.

With a surplus of infielders on the roster, the Reds will likely rotate players through the lineup daily and mix in more frequent off days for the regulars. There likely won’t be much consistency on a day-to-day basis in the batting order or the field as players move around positions.

The Reds felt comfortable adding another infielder in Candelario into the mix because of how many players are willing and able to play multiple positions. Spencer Steer will likely be a regular outfielder in 2024, and he can also play first base, second base and third base. Elly De La Cruz and Noelvi Marte can play shortstop and third base, Matt McLain can play second base and shortstop, Candelario and Christian Encarnacion-Strand can play first base and third base.

With India also in the mix, the Reds have seven potential everyday starters in the infield.

“There are challenges of finding playing time for guys,” Bell said. “But in the corner infield and Jeimer, that’s going to be pretty easy to figure out. It’ll play itself out pretty easily.”

The Reds also signed Candelario to be a steady presence in a very young lineup. Candelario has played in 746 big league games, and no other Reds position player has appeared in more than 380 games.

“We have young guys that need to play,” Bell said. “There are some growing pains there that they’ll need to play with. The more they play, the more they’ll improve. Adding a guy like Jeimer takes some of that pressure off. Between DH, first base and third base, he’s going to be an everyday player. There’s plenty of playing time to go around there.”

De La Cruz remains a cornerstone piece that the Reds are building around, and Bell called his development one of the most important pieces of the Reds’ offseason. De La Cruz spent time training with New York Yankees star Juan Soto, and the Reds also had hitting coach Joel McKeithan spend time with De La Cruz in the Dominican Republic to work on De La Cruz’s swing.

“He’s training really hard, which is important for his endurance going through a full season,” Bell said. “He has really had a great offseason. That was not a concern, but I knew going into the offseason that one of the most important parts of our offseason was Elly really building himself up and making any adjustments he needed to make going into spring training. That’s happened.”

With the deepest roster that the Reds have had during Bell’s six-year tenure with the Reds, he recognizes that expectations will be higher in 2024. Following three consecutive quiet years in free agency, the Reds strengthened the depth of their roster with veterans like Candelario, and pitchers Frankie Montas, Nick Martinez, Emilio Pagán and Brent Suter.

“We’re adding to a really great group of guys that showed that they’re talented enough and they do a lot of things very well,” Bell said. “It can add up to success. For us as a team, it’s not getting ahead of ourselves or paying attention to anything that’s external about expectations. We did that last year. It’s a good thing we didn’t listen to anything external. It’s important to do the same this year and take care of the parts under our control. There’s a lot of power in keeping it simple.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: David Bell discusses India, De La Cruz and the Reds' infield plans