Cincinnati Reds: 2018, Nick Senzel and Defensive Versatility

The Cincinnati Reds are planning on maximizing their versatility by giving Nick Senzel time in the outfield during their upcoming fall instructional league.

2018 has been an odd year for Cincinnati Reds baseball. After a disastrous April, the Reds looked like they were a long way from being a competent baseball team.

As the year went on, we saw the young club bounce back from their awful 3-15 start, going 62-73 since Bryan Price’s firing. The Reds have a good-looking young roster which looks close to being competitive.

Yes, this record is still is not great, but the Reds look primed to win more games this season then they have since 2015. The young team has established their infield with the strong play of 3B- Eugenio Suarez (4.0 WAR), SS- Jose Peraza  (2.1 WAR), 2B- Scooter Gennett (4.1 WAR) and of course, 1B- Joey Votto (3.6 WAR).

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With the exception of Votto (and maybe Gennett, depending on your opinion of his long-term value), this infield is young and should be manning the dirt of Great American Ballpark for a number of years to come. Now we are left to wonder, what will the Cincinnati Reds do with their top prospect, Nick Senzel?

Ah, if you continued reading you wouldn’t have had to search far to find the answer. Nick Senzel has typically played 2nd and 3rd base throughout his minor-league career, but the Reds are looking to give their talented righty some time in the outfield in the team’s fall instructional league.

In an article on MLB.com, the Reds’ President of Baseball Operations, Dick Williams, discussed Senzel’s versatility.

“He’s a guy that has risen to the challenges put in front of him in the past. He is eager to tackle this one, as well. It’s important to develop players that have positional flexibility.” Williams said, “Nick is the kind of athlete we think is very well suited to at least familiarize himself with the different positions to see what the opportunities will be at the big league level.”

This versatility will definitely open up opportunities for Senzel sooner, rather than later due to the Reds’ full infield. Senzel could play regular outfield for the team and his presence will give the Reds the ability to win the “matchup” battle. While Scooter Gennett has not struggled against lefties in 2018, Senzel’s versatility could allow him to occasionally give the lefty a rest against a tough left-handed starter. It is reasonable to assume that Jesse Winker will be a starting outfielder for the Reds in 2019. Senzel could also slide out to left or right field to give Winker a day off against a left-handed starter. Because Senzel is a natural third baseman, he could slide there as well to give Suarez a rest and the Reds will not lose much offense from their lineup.

This flexibility is extremely valuable, as it will allow the Reds to always have their best team on the field. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs are two teams that employ this versatility very nicely. Cody Bellinger and Kris Bryant are two of the league’s best young players. The Dodgers have maximized Max Muncy‘s hot 2018 by playing Bellinger in the outfield. The Cubs also often slide Bryant to the outfield in order to get the best matchups into their lineup.

Williams summarizes their thinking on this added versatility perfectly(MLB.com).

“Anything that gives us the ability to field a competitive team and have more options is something we want to pursue,” Williams said.

This is valuable thinking that should help the Cincinnati Reds turn into an exciting young team in the near future. We could see Nick Senzel in a Reds uniform early on in 2019.