Reds Make Their Choice in Roster Decision Between Two Young Infielders

When the Reds first placed Ke'Bryan Hayes on the injured list back on August 28, the Reds' original plan was to give the Reds' former number two-ranked prospect Edwin Arroyo more playing time at third base to give him more opportunities at the big-league level. Soon after, the Reds promoted newly acquired infielder Juan Brito, who was traded for from the Cleveland Guardians, when rosters expanded on September 1.

Now, the Reds have made a decision on who will remain with the big league club now that Hayes has been reactivated from the IL.

Juan Brito Made The Most Of His Opportunity

In Brito's first game, he made a great impression with the Reds. He did go 0-for-3, but in his final at-bat, he put together an incredible at-bat that was crucial for the Reds coming from behind late to win 4-3 against the Padres. Brito saw seven pitches in that at-bat before he lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home the runner from third, giving the Reds a two-run lead going into the ninth.

"That was a really good at-bat." Reds manager Terry Francona said postgame. "He kind of came as advertised. PK (Triple-A Louisville manager Pat Kelly) talked about how he just plays the game right, and he kind of did that tonight."

The very next game, Brito hit his first career home run. It was a three-run home run that gave the Reds a big lead early. They went on to win that game 7-3. He's never been known for his power throughout the minor leagues, but he did have a 20-home-run season just a couple of seasons ago.

The 24-year-old plays a solid defense at second base, but has given the Reds innings at third. With Hayes coming back and the Reds trying to limit defensive innings with Elly De La Cruz at shortstop, Brito fills in nicely at second base so Matt McLain can get work in at short and De La Cruz can focus solely on hitting as the season comes to a close.

Arroyo Has A Lot To Work On

The biggest issue currently with Edwin Arroyo is his inability to not chase pitches out of the strike zone. He's chasing at nearly a 40 percent rate, and that is not going to lead to success at the big league level. While he was chasing at nearly the same rate in Triple-A, the quality of pitching is far superior at the highest level, and once pitchers have a scouting report, it is hard to find any success. In 50 games with the Reds, he's slashing .233/.266/.264 with just five extra-base hits. Brito already has two extra-base hits in just four games with the Reds.

Arroyo has a lot of potential; he flashed that in Triple-A this season. He's slashing .309/.377/.547 with 15 home runs, 13 doubles, and five triples. Hitting for more power was a main focal point during the offseason. After missing the 2024 season due to shoulder surgery, his slugging numbers were way lower than he or anyone else expected. He hit for average, but his slugging percentage was at just .371, down from .433 the year prior.

There's still time to figure it out. He’s still only 23 years old, but the clock is ticking now. Brito's success is the reason why he was the one who stayed. Arroyo was acquired in a blockbuster trade along with Noelvi Marte for Luis Castillo. Marte and Arroyo have both struggled to hit in the big leagues. With it now being four years post-trade, the trade is starting to look like a bust.

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