The 3 biggest Reds stories to follow this spring

This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon¡¯s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Reds camp buzzed with arrivals and activity already ahead of Wednesday, the first workout for pitchers and catchers. The first full-squad workout is scheduled for Monday.

With 59 players in camp, there will be battles in several areas as new manager Terry Francona, president of baseball operations Nick Krall, the coaches and front office work to assemble a 26-man roster for Opening Day.

Here are three storylines to watch this spring:

1. Which infielders play where?

There are more infielders than available places to play, and most of them can play multiple positions.

Elly De La Cruz, who was a first-time All-Star at shortstop last season while hitting 25 home runs with 67 steals, can make impressive defensive plays with his speed, athletic ability and range. However, the 23-year-old is also error prone -- especially on the routine plays -- and led the Majors with 29 errors. Krall has squashed any thoughts about moving De La Cruz to the outfield. But he could play third base, where he often started his rookie year in 2023.

Matt McLain is an easy projection for second base, but he could also play shortstop or even see time in center field. Offseason acquisition Gavin Lux played second base in 138 games and one game at shortstop last season for the Dodgers, and he also has experience in left field. Lux will also get opportunities in camp to play third base and first base.

Jeimer Candelario and Spencer Steer could both fit at either third base or first base. Noelvi Marte, who had a poor 2024, will be trying to show he belongs at third while Christian Encarnacion-Strand seeks to regain his footing at first base after a rough first month of last season and being shut down by a right hand injury in May. It's also possible Encarnacion-Strand will get looks at third base.

"We take the beginning of camp, and you¡¯re going to see guys moving around," Francona said. "As we get towards the end, if things are going well, you¡¯ll start to see guys playing where we think they¡¯ll play. But we¡¯ve got to answer some questions first, and you¡¯ll see a lot of that in the beginning of camp.

¡°We want to put guys in position where they can play their best baseball. I¡¯m not sure we know what that is today. Hopefully we will pretty soon.¡±

2. Rotation battle is tight

Hunter Greene, Brady Singer, Nick Martinez, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Rhett Lowder, Graham Ashcraft and Carson Spiers are all currently in the mix for the five rotation spots in camp. Greene, Singer and probably Martinez seem to be the locks. Martinez, who accepted a $21.05 million qualifying offer as a free agent, is the most versatile pitcher on the club and could start or relieve.

There are numerous possibilities for the remaining two spots. Lodolo had four stints on the injured list last season and must prove he is healthy. Ditto for Abbott, who missed the last six weeks of 2024. Lowder, the organization's No. 2 prospect, made an impressive six-start debut last season and Spiers could also fit as a starter or long reliever. Ashcraft, coming off a down first half before he missed the second half of '24, wants to start but could also be an effective reliever.

Francona ruled out the notion of a six-man rotation.

¡°It sounds good maybe in theory. I don¡¯t know if it works as well. At least personally, I¡¯d prefer to stay where we are," he said.

Down the road, veteran Wade Miley is expected to be ready in May after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Miley signed a Minor League contract to return to the club he pitched for in 2020-21.

3. The Francona Factor

Hired in October, Francona is back in baseball after a year away to work on his health and brings a resume that leaves no doubt of his ability to lead winners. He won two World Series with the Red Sox and went to another with Cleveland. His 1,950 wins rank 13th all-time and his reputation for relating to players, fans and media is strong.

The soon-to-be 66-year-old Francona did not come out of retirement to lead a middle-of-the-pack or losing club. Although the younger roster isn't largely different from the one that fell way short in 2024, can his influence lift the Reds to the next level and into the postseason?

¡°For sure," catcher Tyler Stephenson said. "We all know last year was disappointing. But we still have a bunch of really good players on our team. If we do what we¡¯re supposed to do, with a guy like that who can manage, it¡¯s kind of the recipe for a great year.¡±