Stuart Fairchild

Fairchild opened 2023 on the major league roster and played regularly as a starter or late-game sub against left-handers over the first two-and-a-half months before being optioned to Triple-A Louisville with a .237 average over 64 games. He eventually finished the year in the majors, mostly as a fifth outfielder with stretches as a starter when injuries hit. With Spencer Steer expected to see most of his time in the outfield, a competition for fifth outfielder should play out during spring training. Fairchild brings above-average defense at all three outfield spots and speed, which gives him a leg up on the competition. That he doesn't have options remaining works in his favor, as Nick Martini still has one left. The Reds could option Martini, leaving Fairchild and Jose Barrero, whose primary position is shortstop, to compete for a job.

Fairchild is back with the team that drafted him in the second round in 2017. His prospect stock took a tumble as Cincinnati traded him to Arizona, and the Diamondbacks cut bait before ill-fated stints with the Mariners and Giants. The Reds brought Fairchild in on a waiver claim in June but didn't give him much playing time until the final month of the season. At 26 years old, Fairchild enjoyed his first real taste of big-league success, slashing .302/.393/.472 in his final 61 plate appearances of 2022. It's probably not enough to land him a starting job entering 2023, though he's firmly in the mix for a bench spot and Nick Senzel is just one of several health question marks for the club. Fairchild's production last season was propped up by his home park, but he's always displayed strong on-base skills and there is still speed here even if he hasn't shown it in the majors.

Fairchild, the 38th overall pick by the Reds in the 2017 first-year player draft, has displayed strong on-base skills during his time in the minor leagues. At age 23, Fairchild drew 44 walks in 460 PA between High-A and Double-A, leading to a .353 combined OBP in 2019. Those skills along with decent speed, average-to-plus defense in center field and a plus arm point to a future in the major leagues. However, the fact the Reds traded Fairchild last summer along with Josh VanMeter in exchange for a month of Archie Bradley's services tells you all you really need to know. He does not profile as a long-term, big-league regular. Fairchild was added to the Diamondbacks' 40-man roster in November and figures to debut at some point in 2021.

Fairchild hit .360 during his final season at Wake Forest but faced questions about his hit tool entering the 2017 first-year player draft. The Reds grabbed Fairchild in the second round, and while he did little to alleviate concerns about his hitting in his first year with a full-season affiliate, he did finally answer some questions in 2019. Fairchild trimmed his strikeout rate with High-A Daytona from 26% to 21.4%, and that number fell all the way to 12.4% after his move up to Double-A Chattanooga in June (179 plate appearances). He also lifted his walk rate and cracked double-digit homers for the first time as a pro. It seems Fairchild can handle himself just fine with a wood bat, though whether he will hit enough to be a major-league starter in left field remains in question. As a righty, his power should play up in Great American Ball Park. He will likely split 2020 between Double-A and Triple-A.