The Cincinnati Reds have dealt with a litany of injuries and ineptitude in their outfield.
Blake Dunn, Dane Myers and Matt McLain have all taken reps on the grass before falling to injury. It hasn’t helped that TJ Friedl, Will Benson, Noelvi Marte and others have struggled at the plate.
This has led to a strange move by Reds manager Terry Francona. Utility man Spencer Steer will play his first recorded game in center field between the major leagues, minor leagues and college.
Steer will be batting third against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, playing a position he has never played at the professional or collegiate level before.
Should Cincinnati Reds’ Steer Play Center?
The Minnesota Twins drafted Steer in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Oregon.
The Twins would trade Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand to Cincinnati in exchange for Tyler Mahle in 2022.
He would make his debut with the Reds that year, playing 28 games with a .632 OPS.
The following year, he would exceed rookie limits, hitting 23 home runs while slashing .271/.356/.464 and finishing sixth in National League Rookie of the Year voting.
He would hit 20 or more home runs in his next two seasons, but still have a below-average offensive season in each.
However, he was able to stay on the field in each of his first three full seasons, playing in 146 or more games.
So far in 88 games this year, he has hit 14 home runs with a .240/.323/.421 slash line. Offense hasn’t necessarily been the main issue for Steer.
However, his defense has been problematic. He has had just one season with a positive Outs Above Average, per Baseball Savant.
While Steer has played both corner outfield positions in his career, center field is a completely different animal.
Why Is This Problematic?
While his sprint speed is in the 82nd percentile this year, Steer lacks the range to play center field. In addition, his arm value is in the 28th percentile, which is not nearly enough for a center fielder.
Despite playing 206 games in the outfield in his major league career, experience is not equivalent to success in Steer’s case.
In his career, he has -11 OAA in the corner outfield positions. With more range and arm strength required to play center, it likely won’t go well for Steer long-term.
This obviously isn’t on Steer. He has done everything the organization has asked him to do. Despite being a natural infielder, he has played corner outfield a lot.
If this is just a short-term replacement while the Reds get healthy or a precursor to an external move, that’s one thing.
However, if Steer is going to play center field every day until they get healthy, then the Reds may see a significant dropoff in team defense.
While Friedl and Marte have struggled offensively this season, they both have much more experience and tangible skills better suited for center field than Steer.
Either way, this is a very strange decision by the Reds organization and Francona.
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