Gavin Lux Could Return to Shortstop This Season After Being Traded by Dodgers
When the Cincinnati Reds acquired Gavin Lux from the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason, they knew they were getting a versatile player and two-time World Series champion.
However, they didn’t know where he would fit in defensively.
Lux has played only one game in Major League Baseball at a position that wasn’t middle infield or outfield and last season, he appeared 138 of 139 games at second base.
Despite all the moving parts with the Reds, general manager Nick Krall and manager Terry Francona have a plan in place to determine the best spot for Lux.
“We’ll figure that out in spring training,” said Krall, who described a scenario to the Cincinnati Enquirer in which Lux gets time at the usual second, left and maybe DH roles, then gets looks at third base and shortstop.
“We’ll see where it is, see where he is defensively at all those positions,” Krall said.
More news: Gavin Lux Pens Heartfelt Message to Dodgers, Says Goodbye to LA After Trade to Reds
While he could return to shortstop to give Elly De La Cruz some days off, the Reds would love to see Lux play third base. It was their weakest position last season and Lux could be an instant improvement, espeically with his bat.
“This is a guy with really good upside,” Krall said. “Even still with where he is right now he still has some room to run to get better.”
Reds scouts watched Lux in the second half of the season, well after their matchups with the Dodgers had ended. During that stretch, Lux appeared to regain his form, posting a .304 average and an .899 OPS after the All-Star break.
However, the answer for where Lux will play might become clearer during spring training.
“We’ll see what works and doesn’t work,” Krall said. “It’s going to sort itself out in spring training where everyone fits best going into the season.”
Lux is coming off a 2024 season that saw him slash .251/.320/.383 with an OPS of .703. He added 10 home runs, 50 RBIs, and, despite recovering from a knee injury that forced him to miss the entire 2023 season, played in a career-high 139 games.
During the postseason, Lux had a home run and four RBIs in 12 games.
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Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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