Billy Hamilton was a weapon off the bench for the Reds in September as the team geared up for a run at the NL Wild Card. In 2014, Hamilton is expected to play full-time as the Reds’ lead-off man and starting center fielder, writes MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon. Shin-Soo Choo patrolled center for them in 2013, but as he is expected to sign elsewhere in free agency, the Reds seem content to let Hamilton prove himself on a full-time basis.

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said, “It’s going to be very difficult for us with the amount of money that’s out there. [Hamilton] would be our leadoff hitter if we went to Spring Training tomorrow.”

In his first taste of Major League action in September, the 23-year-old Hamilton stole 13 bases in 14 attempts while hitting .368 in 22 trips to the plate. With Triple-A Louisville, where he spent most of his time throughout the 2013 season, Hamilton stole 75 bases in 90 attempts while hitting .256.

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