Farmer open to any role: 'Whatever it takes'

Kyle Farmer could not hide his disappointment.

A Reds utility player the past two seasons, Farmer came to Spring Training with a chance to become an everyday player for the first time as he competed for the shortstop vacancy. But on Tuesday, the club decided to give third baseman Eugenio Suárez a closer look as a shortstop.

“It's definitely tough. I'd be lying to you if I told you it was easy to think about it,” Farmer said after going 1-for-4 in Thursday's 12-9 loss to the Rangers. “But Geno's a great athlete, and I feel like he can play shortstop. He came up as a shortstop as well. It's frustrating, to say the least. I can't complain about it.”

The chances are strong -- but not guaranteed -- that Suárez could open the season at shortstop, with Mike Moustakas moving from second base to third and Jonathan India, Cincinnati's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, taking over at second.

That would leave Farmer back to competing for at-bats in a utility role again.

“I'm just trying to make the team any way I can,” said Farmer, who is batting .258 in 11 Cactus League games. “If it's catching again, I'll do it. if it's playing first, I'll do it. Second, short, third, put me in left field, whatever you need. At the end of the day, that's what I'm trying to do, just make the team and I'll do whatever it takes. If that's Geno playing short, that's what's best for the team, that's what I'll do.”

Farmer started at shortstop on Thursday and was busy defensively. He made a charging play on an Eli White first-inning groundout. In the second, he caught Delino DeShields’ line drive and threw to first base for a double play.

“He’s done his part showing he can play there,” Reds manager David Bell said. “We have complete confidence, he’s really good there. That’s great for us to know, great he’s had the opportunity to show us. That’s not off the table. It’s still in a look-and-see mode, and probably will be throughout the end of Spring Training, so we need to keep him sharp there. In the end, we want him to be able to continue any way he possibly can to be a part of this team.”

Pitchers hitting for themselves
For the first time this spring -- and in more than a year -- Bell put a pitcher’s name on the lineup card to hit Thursday. Starter Jeff Hoffman batted ninth in the Reds' first Cactus League game without a designated hitter this spring. During the 2020 season, the National League employed a full-time DH for the first time.

Currently, the plan is for the NL to return to having pitchers hit this season.

“Until Opening Day, we won’t know 100 percent, but we’re definitely planning on it, and it definitely looks like it’s going to be this way,” Bell said. “Our pitchers have been working hard in the cage, [game planning/outfield coach] Jeff Pickler works close with them on their bunting and getting a lot of swings. It’ll be good to get them back into the game action, especially some of our new guys we haven’t seen a lot of.”

In the second inning, Hoffman successfully dropped a sacrifice bunt and reached safely on Rangers pitcher Mike Foltynewicz’s throwing error. In the third, Hoffman lined a single into center field off Foltynewicz.

“It felt good. I haven’t hit since 2019,” Hoffman said. “It was the last year I was a starter, so it definitely was a shock seeing that first fastball coming in. As long as you’re on time and get the barrel out, get a good pitch to hit and swing at strikes. I was lucky enough to get a couple of strikes, got the bunt down and got the base hit. That was fun.”

Lorenzen excited to hit
Among Reds pitchers, none have the hitting track record of hitting of Michael Lorenzen. The right-hander has seven home runs and a .716 career OPS.

“David's like, 'I haven't seen you in my office every single day begging for at-bats, how is everything going?' I'm like, 'No, I'm good, I'm just dialed in on getting my stuff where it needs to be,’” said Lorenzen, a reliever seeking a spot in the starting rotation. “I'm hoping to get some at-bats in soon now that I'm feeling the way I'm feeling, and I feel like I'm in a good spot.”

In 2019, Lorenzen flexed his two-way playing skills, as he played 29 games in the outfield, including six starts in center. He played four innings in center in '20.

Lorenzen has continued to take fly balls and could be considered an extra bench player.

“We would like to do that,” Bell said. “I think if he’s part of a five-man rotation in Spring Training, or the season, there’s two days for sure in there he can be fully available. Likely, it would be the day after a start and the day before his start he wouldn’t be as available, potentially, but the two days in the middle, he would be more available. We’ll try to make the most of those two days.”