GOODYEAR, Ariz. ¨C Call it the Tito effect.
There might be debates over how much impact a manager can have at the big league level, with all of the advancements in statistics making the job sometimes seem more like a data analyst position. And maybe some of the "gut feel" decisions that could win or lose a game in the Major Leagues have been lost. But when a team brings in someone with a resume like Terry Francona¡¯s, a skipper who should join the select 2,000-win club this season, there¡¯s no question the electricity spreads from the top to the bottom of the organization in a hurry.
"From day one, Tito being here, giving that message to the Major League group, that stuff just trickles on down to the Minor Leagues,¡± Reds farm director Jeremy Farrell said. ¡°The goal is clear, the expectations are set. It¡¯s a vibe that you can¡¯t put a finger on, but it¡¯s real.¡±
Much of that comes from Francona¡¯s willingness, his desire to immerse himself in all aspects of the organization. It started long before Spring Training here had started, when Francona came in early to survey the landscape he was joining.
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¡°Early on in the offseason, before things had really gotten going, there was just an energy, a buzz within the organization,¡± Farrell said. "Everyone was excited. He¡¯s been so consistent throughout his years and you understand what his expectations are. And to Tito¡¯s credit, we had some offseason camps here in January. He drove in from Tucson. He was around, he was present. He knows everybody¡¯s name.¡±
That hasn¡¯t stopped just because he¡¯s been readying for a Major League season, his first in Cincinnati. He¡¯s well aware of how important the farm system will be for the Reds to try and get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020, and he personally made sure any prospect he personally came in contact with knew exactly what¡¯s needed in 2025.
¡°He¡¯s gotten to know the system, whether or not they were going to be in Major League camp,¡± Farrell said. ¡°And at the send-down meetings in big league camp, he lets guys know, ¡®When you go down, you¡¯re the example. Make sure you¡¯re pushing guys on the other side with the expectations that have been established here at the Major League level. But also during the season, know that I¡¯m watching you, I¡¯m following you, I¡¯m pulling for you.¡¯ The care factor is felt by everybody.¡±
Camp standout: Yerlin Confidan
Confidan signed for $200,000 in July of 2019 and, as was the case with players from that signing class, had to wait nearly two years to make his official pro debut. It was a strong one, as he earned MVP honors in the Arizona Complex League in 2021 after hitting .315/.359/.573.
Since then, he¡¯s struggled to gain any traction. He¡¯s spent three years with Single-A Daytona and the 91 games he played last year were a career high. There were some small gains in 2024, with highs in home runs (9), extra-base hits (39) and stolen bases (16). There¡¯s time yet for things to click as he¡¯ll spend all of the '25 season at age 22. If his time in camp this spring is any indication, it just might happen.
¡°The consistency of his at-bats has taken a step forward,¡± Farrell said. ¡°He¡¯s using the whole field, he¡¯s been hitting for power. Everything across the board has been better.¡±
Breakout candidate: Ethan O¡¯Donnell
Since the Reds took O¡¯Donnell (CIN No. 18) in the sixth round of the 2023 Draft out of the University of Virginia, they thought they might have a better all-around player than even they anticipated. He had spent his first two years of college ball at Northwestern, then transferred to Virginia for his junior season. He posted a 1.034 OPS with 13 homers and 18 steals for the Cavaliers that spring, so they knew they had a college performer on their hands.
He¡¯s only shown glimpses of that so far in his two summers of pro ball, though, getting super-hot at the very end of his debut after signing and then heating up again in August '24 (1.076 OPS) after battling through a shoulder issue for much of his first full season with High-A Dayton.
¡°He¡¯s an outstanding defender who put together strong second halves of seasons as he started his pro career,¡± Farrell said. ¡°He plays winning baseball, does what¡¯s asked of him. He¡¯ll bunt, he¡¯ll move a runner, he has the ability to drive the ball out of the ballpark.¡±
The Reds feel like a fully healthy O¡¯Donnell is primed to put together a full season of production like he¡¯s shown in spurts so far. And he¡¯ll also get a chance to do it while playing center field more often. That¡¯s where he played exclusively at Virginia, but because of who else was on a roster with him so far in his pro career, he¡¯s spent more time at the corners.
¡°We hope to get him more run in center this year,¡± Farrell said. ¡°Putting together the consistency he¡¯s had the latter part of both of the last two years, coupled with trying to get him everyday reps to the extent we can in center, we feel like it¡¯s an opportunity for him to really put his complete game together.¡±
Something to prove: Jay Allen II
The Reds took just one high schooler in the 2021 Draft. That was Allen, the toolsy, multi-sport prep star from Florida who got $2.4 million to sign as the No. 30 overall pick in that Draft. He¡¯s been as high as No. 6 on the Reds¡¯ Top 30, but he¡¯s also struggled to turn his raw tools into consistent production. The '24 season was the first time he played more than 100 games in a year as injuries cost him much-needed development time.
He showed some glimpses last year, reaching double digits in home runs (10) and steals (35), but also slashed just .224/.372/.345. It¡¯s a big year for him as he¡¯ll be Rule 5 eligible at the end of the year if he doesn¡¯t earn a spot on the Reds¡¯ 40-man roster.
¡°The key for him is staying healthy,¡± Farrell said. ¡°The raw tools, the ability, it¡¯s all there. It¡¯s about putting it all together and understanding what he¡¯s trying to do in a given at-bat and trusting himself and going out and playing. Last year we introduced him to the corners, not to say that we don¡¯t believe in him in center field, but we¡¯re trying to increase versatility.¡±
What¡¯s new: New look future infield
Cam Collier (CIN No. 4/MLB No. 90) and Sal Stewart (CIN No. 3/MLB No. 83) were the Reds' top two picks in the 2022 Draft and both are currently in the Top 100. The organization knew there would be a time when there might be some separation about where each would play defensively, but up through '24, both were getting reps at third base at the same level. That took some juggling, with Collier getting at-bats at DH and Stewart playing more second base than the hot corner.
This spring was going to be the time when Collier started making a move across the diamond to first and Stewart would get most of his time at third. Collier¡¯s thumb injury that required surgery occurred on a tag play at first, but that won¡¯t keep the pair from possibly being the future corner infield for the Reds.
¡°Cam will come back and play first base,¡± Farrell said. ¡°And we¡¯ve gotten to a point where Sal is going to go to Double-A and he¡¯s going to be the third baseman. He might be our third baseman of the future.¡±