LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Last year, Billy Hamilton took 628 plate appearances in the leadoff spot for the Cincinnati Reds and ran a .299 on-base percentage in the process. When Hamilton was hurt for a few weeks late in the season, rookie Jesse Winker stepped into that slot.
Winker didn’t run a high on-base hitting leadoff, but he did post a .375 mark overall and has historically gotten aboard at a high rate in the minors. Reds manager Bryan Price isn’t ready to hand the duties to Winker outright, but he did suggest that the spot is up for grabs.
“When you're going to lead the team in at-bats or plate appearances, you have to have that ability to affect the offense at a high rate in order to justify getting those at-bats,” Price said of Hamilton.
Hamilton is a game-changing talent on the bases, but the benefit from that skill is limited by how relatively rarely he’s there. At some point, the sheer quantity of opportunities presented by a high-on-base player like Winker would provide more opportunities to score.
Price did say that if Hamilton is not hitting first, the Reds would bat him ninth in order to not have their base-stealing threat hitting in front of the pitcher’s spot.
“I'd hit him ninth, but I certainly want him to compete and have a great spring and be a guy that could be a consideration to hit leadoff,” Price said. “But he does need to show signs of improving that on-base percentage.”
Mesoraco plan
With Tucker Barnhart coming off his best offensive season and a Gold Glove campaign behind the plate, former All-Star catcher Devin Mesoraco basically will become an expensive backup. Mesoraco is set to make $13 million in the final year of his contract.
Mesoraco missed the end of the season after breaking his foot and has played in just 95 games the last two seasons. Price said the Reds will not use Mesoraco anywhere other than catcher.
“Tucker's going to get the lion's share of the playing time now; he's earned that,” Price said. “But I would like to think that Devin can help us in any number of ways. First of all, probably catching at least a couple of times a week, as well as being able to help us off the bench.”
The amount of pinch-hit opportunities could be limited for Mesoraco, since the Reds will not carry a third catcher again like they did last season. Price said Mesoraco could be saved for at-bats late in the game against high-end relievers, as Mesoraco has power and his reputed as a strong fastball hitter.
Mesoraco could also start over Barnhart on days left fielder Adam Duvall is resting, so as to prevent the Reds lineup from getting too left-handed.
Peraza’s winter
Reds infielder Jose Peraza left his winter ball club in Venezuela not over any injury, but because conditions in the country have deteriorated to the point where conditions were too difficult. Peraza is still living in Venezuela this offseason, however.
“It was really the conditions of being able to eat properly and to be in an environment where he was safe and being able to benefit from the experience of playing, and I don't think it went quite as well as he had hoped,” Price said.