Adding an All-Star cleanup hitter generated a lot of excitement.
“It’s a presence in the middle of the order,” Francona said. “That usually makes people in front of you and behind you better. We were mixing and matching so much last year trying to protect Elly (De La Cruz). We were doing it with younger guys. It seemed like whenever we did it, whoever we moved would struggle a bit (because) you start to become a focal point for other teams.”
Suárez, who hit 49 homers last year, knows how to handle that role and that level of expectations.
He’s also known as one of the best clubhouse guys in baseball, a veteran with a consistently positive attitude. He lives by his motto, “Good vibes only.”
“His ability to mesh well with the clubhouse, that’s what you hear about a guy like that,” Reds left fielder Spencer Steer said on Monday, the first day of spring training. “I get excited when I hear that. Getting to know the guy and have him around on a daily basis.”
Last year, the Reds didn’t have a late-game comeback that resulted in a victory until the middle of June. They were also the worst team in baseball in extra innings.
It hurt that the cleanup spot was a revolving door all season. Francona tried slotting in whoever was hot, but he wasn’t able to find an answer. Last season, Reds’ cleanup hitters posted the 10th-worst OPS in MLB.
Suárez solves that hole in the Reds’ lineup.
“Who he has been as a player speaks for itself,” Hunter Greene said. “To have him back in the clubhouse and to have that energy around will be really cool.”
With Suárez slotted into the cleanup spot, the big question is who will hit second in the lineup.
Center fielder TJ Friedl was one of the best on-base guys in MLB last season, and his ability to grind out tough at-bats is exactly what Francona is looking for at the top of the order. De La Cruz hits third.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Candidates to hit second include Noelvi Marte, Spencer Steer and Sal Stewart.
“We’ll have to figure out who hits second,” Francona said. “We want to have somebody to break up Elly and TJ. It needs to be someone right-handed. My first thought is (Noelvi) Marte, but he struggles against lefties. We’ve got to figure some things out. We haven’t played a game yet. Those are things I think about.”
If the Reds find that No. 2 hitter, then the lineup should really click into a playoff-caliber group.
The middle of the Reds’ lineup was inconsistent in 2025. If that unit levels up, the Reds will be in good position to take the next step and reach the goals that the team is setting for 2026.
“I want them to remember how they popped champagne how it felt,” Francona said. “I also want them to remember what it felt like four days later when you’re being sent home. Our obligation, whatever happens, is to learn from it and get better.”
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