The Reds have a bit of a baffling third base controversy going on this spring. On one hand there's Juan Castro who hit .251/.281/.351 last year but has a reputation for good defense, though he hasn't been much better than average in the past couple years. On the other hand there's Edwin Encarnacion who hit .276/.359/.473 as a 23 year old last and but made 25 errors, though other fielding metrics suggest he wasn't quite that bad last year. Plus, Encarnacion is trying to improve in the field : "I want to be better, because I know I can hit," said Encarnacion. "I know my defense is what I have to improve. I know I have to be more consistent with my defense."
"He's worked extremely hard, and that gives him a chance to be better," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "It all begins with his feet. If he'll just catch the ball and throw it, and not think about it, he'll probably make better throws, because he has worked at it. He gets after it pretty good."
The fact that there's much of a debate here is insane. Encarnacion is younger and a much better hitter than Castro. The way the Reds treat him because of his glove reminds me of the Pirates treatment of Aramis Ramirez earlier this decade. That situation ended with the Pirates trading Ramirez and Kenny Lofton for Bobby Hill, Jose Hernandez, and Matt Bruback. Reds fans have to be hoping for more than a little better than that.
