Senzel to the outfield

[JohnU]

Baseball America's report on the Reds Instructional League

I assume the team is either happy with Scooter or unhappy with somebody else.

Then again, it's not even October.

2018 Cincinnati Reds Instructional League Roster

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The Reds have made no secret since drafting Senzel that they liked him as a guy that could play multiple positions. They seem to have cooled on the idea of playing SS, but 2nd, 3rd, and OF looks like the plan. Dick Williams and Buddy Bell have been on local sports talk radio throughout the season stating it. I think the only question is when they are going to call him up.

Blandino and Winker's readiness returning from injury is the biggest unknown among position players. Add in Senzel's pending arrival and there's at least three guys on the current roster that are going to lose their job when those three are ready.

 

[JohnU]

It certainly casts into motion a number of options. I suspect the Reds are foraging for a pitcher someplace unless they think the current staff will markedly improve. That might happen with a couple of them. But I would like to think there's something of a plan in place.

Of the OFs on the roster now, Ervin will stick. Mason likely won't. I like both of them a little bit. Guerrero has great hair and a pedigree of note but he's not a big-league hitter. Dixon? MLB has a long history of finding spots for guys like him. Ivan DeJesus Jr. made a nice living at it. Adam Rosales did too. Blandino or Dixon? Your choice.

I think the Reds will sign Scooter this winter, probably trade Dilson ... Hamilton seems like the odd man out. I wish I could say that's a good or a bad thing. I just can't make up my mind.

The pitching is another conversation and it's good to remember that Hughes and Hernandez will have just the one year left next season.

 

[eburg5000]

Looks like the Reds will have a full out field. You also don't want to forget the guy drafted out of Florida India. they were talking about him being in the outfield to. could be ready in 3 yrs at best, never if he flops.

Ervin playing center everyday make me a little nervous. I think everyone feels the same way about Hamilton He makes things happened that few players can, but on the other hand he might go two weeks without getting on base

 

[Hit-n-Run]

How teams build the 25 man roster has changed a lot since the days of 9 man pitching staffs. NL teams carry 13 pitchers and with the backup catcher being automatic it only leaves 3 more bench spots. It's becoming imperative that bench players bring versatility to the roster. More and more we're seeing that the 4th outfielder has to be able to play infield. It's also becoming somewhat a necessity to have a couple everyday players that can play both.

When you look at most of the guys on this roster, there's not a lot of defensive flexibilty. Schebler, Ervin, Winker, Williams, and even Hamilton only play OF. And most of them aren't great defensively. With only four bench spots and one of those being a catcher, it handcuffs a manager to carry two of those five on the bench.

The current Reds roster takes a big hit defensively when Billy Hamilton isn't in CF. The options at SS aren't plentiful either.

 

[JohnU]

I think DW advocated for more versatile players but has ended up with a couple of corner outfielders and a guy who hits .185 to cover the rest of it. Not sure if they expected Scooter to play some LF but he has no arm at all. Even if they didn't get hurt, Schebler and Winker are what they are. I am glad to see Casali and Barnhart play some 1B, as if it should have taken this long. The other player who counts here is Lorenzen in the outfield.

I wonder if Dixon could play SS in a pinch. Obviously Suarez is the man for that.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Dick Williams has said the Reds will increase the MLB payroll. I'd like to think some of that would be spent on a SP.

There's always arbitration raises which if you're lucky are offset by departing free agents. Harvey is the only FA, but his departure takes Mesoraco's $13M with him. That should be nearly an even trade off.

If Scooter is extended I'd guess his 2019 salary would be equal to his arbitration estimates, so that's probably an even trade off on two fronts.

If they truly increase the payroll, that should leave something to invest in a pitcher. Hopefully not one from the low end scratch and dent sale.

The Reds have a surplus of players that have no assignment options. No options decrease a young unproven players value. Guys like Dilson Herrera, Mason Williams, and Tim Federowicz are players that other teams will have interest in this off season. But the interest is more in signing them as minor league free agents if released. A few pitchers fall into that same category. The players that hold any real trade value are the same players we don't want them to trade.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Scooter's shoulder sounds like a chronic issue. Definitely sounds like he's limited to 2nd.

I'm sure Dixon could play SS in a pinch, but if they thought he was serviceable we'd probably already seen him there. He's never played there as a professional, not even in the minors.

I agree with the catchers playing some first base. It never made sense to me why the Reds didn't have them learning that position in the minors.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I think Blandino is probably the UT guy that can play SS, but he may not hit enough to hold down the job.

Dixon has logged some time at 2nd, but more realistically plays all four corners with some power. He's a strong kid, but he's probably a .230 hitter at best. But if you hit enough homers they tend to overlook that.

Michael Lorenzen is a great athlete. The first time I saw him was at Redsfest. He had long hair and Popeye forearms. If I didn't already know he was a pitcher I wouldn't have guessed it. I don't know if pitchers will keep throwing him fastballs, but he probably has as many PH homes runs as any other player on the bench.

 

[JohnU]

Lorenzen will become Leake if he hits often enough. A good hitter -- for a pitcher. Lots of guys can say that.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Mike Leake hit well for a pitcher his first three seasons, but went south quick after that. He's hit .136 for his last 200 AB's. It took a little longer to get the book, but it appears everyone has read it now. Won't be getting too many AB's in Seattle.

Lorenzen won't be taken lightly after his HR binge. I don't think he'd be on a ML roster if he wasn't a pitcher, but we've seen some position players on the Reds roster in recent years that were much less of an offensive threat than he is. He's not the guy you want up when you need a single, but if he barrels it up it ain't coming back.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I wasn't expecting the Reds to add Tim Federowicz to the 40 man in September. He's a 31 year old career .196 hitter that was hitting .244 in Louisville. It's a nice luxury for manager to have a 3rd catcher on the active roster and I tend to think it means no more than that. He's been DFA 7 times in his career and I suspect there's a 8th right around the corner.

He'll sign a minor league deal somewhere and probably repeat the process a couple more times.

 

[JohnU]

Fedo is Corky Miller without the charisma. He is a mentor-type guy. He may end up in scouting in a couple of years.

 

[JohnU]

Assuming the following:
Senzel really can hit.
India isn't out to lunch.
Trammell is that good.

The makeup of the Reds roster in 2021 will be vastly fresher.
We can assume that Suarez and Peraza are likely a part of it.
Not much else.

Hunter Greene may end up with the Reds by then.

I don't have much faith in the draft process so any other names on a list are just names on a list.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Maybe the Reds are reading our post. They've decided to give Lorenzen a start.

If they're taking our advice that would explain why they appear to not know what they're doing

 

[JohnU]

Obviously they have told Homer to give up his dream of making any Hall of Fame.
Romano appears to have gotten the short straw.
Not sure what the deal ever was with Lucas Sims, who will probably get the TJ surgery this winter and thus become the missing link in the Duvall trade.
Lorenzen has made a good case for himself with 2 weeks left, they can do a bullpen game now, probably makes sense agsinst the Brewers anyhow. The rest of the season will be the least interesting in modern history unless beating the Parrots for old time's sake matters.

 

[JohnU]

Looking at the situation from a couple of angles, one thing is clear:
Senzel already knows how to play infield. He's more versatile if he can catch a fly ball in left field.
I buy into the idea that Senzel wants to learn how to play left field. He never got that chance with the Bats, really.

 

[Redsfan1507]

If the Reds have to turn infielders into outfielders because they can’t find outfielders that can hit, ok....but it might be a good idea to find a few guys than can actually play the position they make their money at, at a skill level they can actually keep the job with.

Left field is a position best occupied by a bat. Leftfielders can have the mobility of an offshore oil rig and only enough arm to throw 90 feet and still be a hall of famer if they can just make outs at the plate 70% of the time. They HAVE to hit, or they need another profession. Ditto for 1b, DH and to some degree, 3b. Pitchers gotta pitch, catchers gotta catch, and middle infielders and center fielders gotta have range, throw, and field. A Rf needs an arm, range is optional, but they gotta outhit the D first guys.

I might add the Reds need a few more pitchers that can get outs too. That’s the most important defensive aspect of the game. You can’t win if you can’t out score your own pitching.

 

[CB3UK]

Bump. Gotta think Senzel to OF come spring is in the plans after Billy non tender.

 

[eburg5000]

Maybe, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Reds either trade Senzel or one of the Reds infielders to make room for Senzel. The Reds have a track record of making stupid money saving trades