Jose Barrero

Barrero has had a reputation throughout his ascencion of the minor leagues as a strong defender with the raw tools to be something special at the big league level. He has amassed nearly 300 plate appearances over the past three seasons in the majors and owns a career 14 wRC+ in that time. Remember, 100 is average, so that is how far away Barrero is in moving expectations to reality. He has speed, but a career .215 OBP severely limits his chances to use that speed. He has also struck out in 40% of his plate appearances and has not accepted walks because pitchers have simply overmatched him at the plate as he continues to flail away at major league pitching. He still has one more year of options and Cincinnati would be wise to allow him more development time in Louisville before what is left of his confidence at the major league level evaporates. You can keep him on a watch list in your respective research tools, but he is undraftable outside of 50-round draft and hold formats.

Garcia made waves early in spring training with a two-homer game against the Angels and followed that up with a few more loud hits, exciting a fanbase eager to have some hope at shortstop. Alas, when he got the call with the Reds in August, essentially skipping two levels, he hit a paltry .194/.206/.194 in 68 plate appearances, striking out 26 times against just one walk. He'll probably begin 2021 in the minors, as he clearly needs more time to develop. Reds GM Nick Krall has suggested that they are looking to bring in a shorstop from outside the organization this offseason, as they currently only have Garcia and Kyle Farmer following the departure of Freddy Galvis.

Signed for $5 million out of Cuba in 2017, Garcia underwhelmed in his first season in the Reds organization but got his career on track in 2019. He was 31% better than the average Florida State League hitter by wRC+, registering a .358 wOBA in 452 plate appearances with 15 stolen bases in 17 attempts. He was 21 years old last season, and his performance at the next rung of the minor-league ladder -- at a more age-appropriate level -- will provide a better gauge of where Garcia stands in his development. There is not a lot of power here and his patience is lacking (5.5 BB% last season), but his bat-to-ball skills and speed make Garcia a player to keep an eye on. The Reds will need to add Garcia to the 40-man roster next winter for Rule 5 protection, and they may have a vacancy at shortstop in 2021.