Former Cincinnati Reds Utility-Man Off to Hot Start with A's

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Alejo Lopez (35) returns to the dugout after the top of the sixth inning of the MLB Cactus League spring training game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Guardians at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz., on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Cleveland Guardians At Cincinnati Reds Spring Training | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The A's signed infielder Alejo López to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training last November. López was projected to be a depth signing with a very slim chance of making the Opening Day roster, considering the plethora of young talent the A's have in their farm system.

Well, the odds of López making the Opening Day roster have increased a touch since the start of Spring. In 12 at-bats, he is hitting .462 with one extra-base hit, one run batted in, and a 1.038 OPS.

López has primarily played the middle infield spots when coming in as a defensive substitution halfway through games, but he has played MLB games at third base and every outfield spot in his career.

In 170 career at-bats with the Cincinnati Reds from 2021-23, López is a career .265 hitter but has posted below-average on-base and slugging percentages, totaling a career .639 OPS or 75 OPS+.

However, López would provide something that is not currently projected to be on the Opening Day roster: a switch hitter. With López being able to bat from both sides of the dish, if he continues on this path that he is currently on this spring, it would be hard to imagine him not making it fairly deep into camp.

The A's could potentially have room for López on their bench. As of right now, it looks like Tyler Soderstrom could be the backup catcher to Shea Langeliers, which would open a spot on the bench that would normally be filled by a backup catcher.

Since Soderstrom is the A's projected starting first baseman and would catch on Langeliers' off days, the idea of López making the Opening Day roster becomes more plausible. López has been a league average defender in his time in the big leagues, which could be where the majority of his value lies.

We are still a ways away from final roster cuts, about three weeks or so to be more exact, but López is someone to keep an eye on for the rest of spring. How often he's playing, where he's playing, and what types of pitchers he's facing are all markers to keep an eye out for.