Over the weekend the Cincinnati Reds manager had something quite interesting to say about the Reds shortstop position:
#Reds Bryan Price said there’s no competition at SS between Zack Cozart & Eugenio Suarez
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) February 28, 2015
Zack Cozart has never come close to being even a below-average hitter in his Major League career. He’s never registered a .290 on-base percentage in three full big league seasons. Last season not only did his on-base percentage drop off from an already low point, his power all but disappeared as well. In 2014 the shortstop hit .221/.268/.300.
The Reds acquired Eugenio Suarez from Detroit when they moved Alfredo Simon back in December. Suarez, entering his age 23 season, hit .242/.316/.336 last season with the Tigers in 85 games. While his line wasn’t much to write home about, he easily outhit Cozart at the big league level last year despite being just 22-years-old.
Suarez rated out as an average defender last season at shortstop. Cozart on the flip size was well above-average, as he’s been throughout his career. Cozart has a clear advantage on defense, he’s one of the stronger defenders in all of baseball. Suarez, at least in 2014, was clearly the better hitter. He had an inconsistent season in the Majors, struggling down the stretch after a good start (he hit very well in the minors in the first half of the season as well).
Cozart had an advantage and Suarez has an advantage, at least based on last season. Cozart has never hit at the big league level. Expecting that to change in his late 20’s probably isn’t a good plan. Suarez is likely never going to be the defender that Cozart is, but at age 23, his bat could continue to improve.
Dan Szymborski’s ZiPS projections have this to say about each player for 2015:
| Player | AVG | OBP | SLG | WAR |
| Cozart | .244 | .284 | .359 | 1.8 |
| Suarez | .248 | .311 | .388 | 2.2 |
This particular projection system thinks that Suarez will be the overall better player in 2015 for the Reds. It’s close though, with Suarez being the better bat and Cozart the better glove.
The closeness of it is what makes the comments of Price so strange. If Zack Cozart were to go into April as the Reds starting shortstop, that’s fine. But to declare that his job is safe before spring training games even begin when there is someone on the roster who should be pushing for playing time, is younger and seemingly can handle the position as well, is a very strange stance to take.
The Reds seem to want Suarez to play every day, at least according to this quote from Price:
I’d like [Suarez] to be playing every day. I don’t think we traded for him to be a utility infielder for us.
If Cozart has his job locked down and Suarez is wanted to play every day, the only reasonable expectation is to see him head to Triple-A and be the starting shortstop for the Louisville Bats.