Nick Senzel

Reds Place Joey Votto On 10-Day IL, Recall Nick Senzel

By Leo Morgenstern | August 24, 2023 at 4:58pm CDT

The Reds have placed first baseman Joey Votto on the 10-day IL with left shoulder discomfort, the team announced. In a corresponding roster move, Nick Senzel has been recalled from Triple-A Louisville.

This specific injury is especially worrisome for Votto, considering the left rotator cuff surgery that cost him the final seven weeks of the 2022 season and the first 12 weeks of 2023. It’s often a bad sign when a player re-aggravates a previous injury, and it’s particularly concerning for a player of Votto’s age; he will turn 40 in September.

Last summer, Votto explained that his shoulder had been causing him problems since 2015, and he only opted for surgery once the pain reached a breaking point. Evidently, the surgery was unable to completely alleviate his pain.

The veteran got off to a slow start when he first came off the injured list in mid-June, but it wasn’t long before Votto found his footing. Across 30 games between early July and mid-August, he hit ten home runs in 115 plate appearances, putting up a 134 wRC+. He wasn’t walking quite like prime Votto, but he was crushing the baseball. He recorded 12 barrels and 34 hard-hit balls, and his 92.1-mph average exit velocity was reminiscent of his 92.9-mph figure from his resurgent 2021 season. It certainly seemed like Votto was back to full health and ready to start padding his Hall of Fame resume.

Unfortunately, he has struggled tremendously over his last ten games. In 37 plate appearances, Votto has just four hits and 11 strikeouts. His whiff rate has risen to a career-high, and he hasn’t barreled a single ball. He exited yesterday afternoon’s contest against the Angels partway through and did not return for the second game of the doubleheader that evening. The recurrence of his shoulder discomfort explains his early exit and could explain the sudden downturn in his performance.

As Gordon Wittenmyer reports for the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Reds are planning to put Votto through “a strengthening program” before re-evaluating his status. With no timetable for his return, it’s fair to wonder if Votto is done for the season. If so, it becomes increasingly likely that the Reds will not pick up his option for the 2024 campaign. The team holds a $20 million option with a $7 million buyout, which means they must decide if their long-time star is worth an additional $13 million in payroll next year. If the Reds decline their option, Votto will become a free agent for the first time in his 17-year career. There is little use speculating about what Votto might do in free agency without a better understanding of his current injury. The severity of his shoulder problems will inform Cincinnati’s decision and, subsequently, his next course of action.

Senzel has had a difficult season, including two separate trips to the injured list and one optional assignment to the minor leagues. In 80 games for the Reds, he has a 72 wRC+ and -0.5 FanGraphs WAR. He has mostly split his time between third base and the outfield, and the defensive metrics suggest he has been below average at the hot corner and all three outfield positions. With the recent promotion of top prospect Noelvi Marte, Senzel is unlikely to see much time at third, but he could play the outfield while Spencer Steer takes over for Votto at first base. Cincinnati also has young outfielders TJ Hopkins and Michael Siani on the 26-man roster, in addition to journeyman Nick Martini. Trey Mancini is also in the organization as of yesterday evening, and it stands to reason that the Reds signed him to a minor league deal in light of Votto’s injury.

MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: The White Sox Fire Their Front Office, Injured Rays and Prospect Promotion Time

By Darragh McDonald | August 23, 2023 at 9:34am CDT

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

The White Sox fire Ken Williams and Rick Hahn (1:05)
The new CBA makes mid-August prospect promotion season (8:15)
The Rays lose Shane McClanahan to Tommy John surgery (15:00)

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

With the Reds calling up Noelvi Marte, how do they fit in playing time for all their rookie position players? After keeping Nick Senzel at the deadline, what kind of return could they get for trading him during the offseason? (18:40)
Will the Mets pursue any notable free agent pitchers this off season? (24:05)
Of the teams that have exceeded the base luxury tax threshold this season, which ones do you see as most likely to dip back below it during this coming offseason? (26:15)

Check out our past episodes!

Pete Alonso’s Future, Yankees’ Rotation Troubles and Should the Trade Deadline Be Pushed Back? – listen here
The Streaking Mariners, the Struggling Angels and Injured Aces – listen here
Trade deadline recap – listen here

Reds Option Nick Senzel, Select Henry Ramos, Outright Eduardo Salazar

By Anthony Franco and Darragh McDonald | August 13, 2023 at 3:09pm CDT

TODAY: Salazar cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter).

AUGUST 11: The Reds announced a series of roster moves today, selecting the contract of outfielder Henry Ramos. In corresponding moves, infielder/outfielder Nick Senzel has been optioned to Triple-A Louisville while right-hander Eduardo Salazar has been designated for assignment.

Ramos returns to the majors for a second stint this season. The 31-year-old cracked the MLB roster in late April after signing a minor league pact last offseason. He appeared in 18 games, hitting .242/.356/.306 over a career-high 73 trips to the plate. Cincinnati outrighted him off the 40-man roster last month.

A 12-year minor league veteran, Ramos has only 36 games of big league experience. He’s having a strong year in Triple-A, putting up a .315/.399/.522 line through 54 contests with Louisville. He has walked at a strong 12% clip against a lower than average 19.2% strikeout rate while connecting on nine homers. A switch-hitter, Ramos has shredded left-handed pitching at a .367/.430/.556 clip between Triple-A and the big leagues this year.

The righty-hitting Senzel has also mashed against southpaws, putting up a .305/.367/.537 line with the platoon advantage. He’s a .175/.251/.281 hitter when up against right-handed pitching, however. Senzel hasn’t been effective against pitchers of either handedness of late, posting a .138/.206/.309 mark since the start of June. The former #2 overall pick now has a .219/.290/.368 batting line in 269 trips to the plate on the season.

It has been another underwhelming year for the former top prospect. Cincinnati has graduated plenty of top position player prospects over the past few months, pushing Senzel into a utility role. He’s now off the active roster entirely, optioned for his first minor league stint (excluding injury rehab assignments) since the Reds first promoted him in May 2019.

Senzel is playing this season on a $1.95MM arbitration salary. He is eligible for that process twice more after surpassing the four-year service threshold this spring. It seems increasingly likely he could be non-tendered, though. In just over 1300 major league plate appearances, the 28-year-old owns a .236/.300/.361 slash.

While Senzel remains in the organization and could yet get another look in the next six weeks, the Reds will place Salazar on waivers. The 25-year-old has made his first eight big league appearances this season, allowing 11 runs in 12 2/3 innings. He’d allowed only two runs (one earned) through 13 2/3 Double-A frames this year but has been tagged for an 8.24 ERA over 19 2/3 innings with Louisville.

Salazar has posted huge ground-ball numbers throughout his professional career. He has rarely generated big strikeout tallies, though he did fan upwards of 40% of opponents in his brief but dominant Double-A stint earlier this year. Salazar has ample starting experience in his career but has come out of the bullpen for all 33 appearances this season.

Reds Promote Elly De La Cruz

By Steve Adams | June 6, 2023 at 11:51am CDT

The Reds have called up one of the top prospects in baseball, announcing Tuesday that they’ve recalled infielder Elly De La Cruz from Triple-A Louisville. In a corresponding move, third baseman Nick Senzel is headed to the injured list with a right knee issue.

The promotion of the 21-year-old De La Cruz is the latest step in a Cincinnati youth movement that has seen the likes of Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Alexis Diaz, Graham Ashcraft, Matt McLain and Andrew Abbott make their MLB debuts over the past 14 months. De La Cruz has arguably the highest ceiling of the entire group, and his first call to the Major will continue the efforts to usher in a new era of baseball at Great American Ball Park.

Cruz offers one of the most tantalizing blends of power and speed in the sport, evidenced by this year’s 12 home runs and 11 steals in 186 Triple-A plate appearances. He’s batting .297/.398/.633 with a 14% walk rate against a 26.9% strikeout rate in Louisville and has gained increasing notoriety for his Statcast-breaking exit velocities, sprint speed and arm strength at shortstop. Statcast has pegged his sprint speed as high as 31 ft/sec at times (which would rank first in the Majors), and he drew headlines for blistering three balls with exit velocities north of 116 mph in a single game earlier this season.

The 6’5″, 200-pound De La Cruz has been primarily a shortstop in his minor league career, but Cincinnati GM Nick Krall tells Jim Bowden of The Athletic that he’ll likely play both shortstop and third base in the big leagues (Twitter link). Despite his sizable frame, De La Cruz draws strong reviews for his defensive upside at shortstop. Cincinnati currently has McLain thriving at that position, however, so the switch-hitting De La Cruz could see more frequent action at third base, where Baseball America touts him as a potential plus-plus (i.e. 70-grade) defender.

Currently, De La Cruz ranks as the game’s No. 3 prospect at Baseball America, No. 4 at MLB.com and No. 5 at FanGraphs. De La Cruz occupied the top spot on Kiley McDaniel’s midseason update to his top-50 prospects over at ESPN, joining an elite tier of 60-FV prospects alongside the likes of Eury Perez, Marcelo Mayer, Jackson Holliday, Jackson Chourio and James Wood. “De La Cruz has continued to improve his polish at the plate while also continuing to show eye-popping 70- and 80-grade tools all over the field,” McDaniel wrote as part of that ranking.

The predominant concern with the switch-hitting De La Cruz is his penchant for swinging and missing. This year’s 26.9% strikeout rate is actually his lowest full-season mark to date; he’s fanned in over 30% of his plate appearances in each of his stops at Class-A, High-A and Double-A dating back to 2021. R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports points out that De La Cruz’s contact rate against while facing left-handed pitchers this season has been just 58%, underscoring the potential for some struggles in adjusting to big league opponents.

From a service time perspective, De La Cruz is being promoted late enough in the year that he won’t have any chance at organically accruing a full year of Major League service time. That technically puts him on track for free agency following the 2029 season, although for a prospect of this caliber, it’s certainly worth noting that with a top-two finish in National League Rookie of the Year voting, De La Cruz would still be awarded a full year of MLB service time thanks to provisions stipulated in the 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement. Should De La Cruz be in the Majors for good but not accrue that full year based on ROY voting, he’d accumulate 118 days of Major League service time in 2023, placing him on the cusp of Super Two status following the 2025 season.

De La Cruz’s early performance will have particular ramifications for Senzel once he’s deemed eligible to return. While a rough initial showing from De La Cruz could make it a rather straightforward call, in the event that the talented 21-year-old holds his own or seizes a spot in the same manner McLain has, Senzel’s role will become murky. The Reds moved him from center field back to third base this year and have thus far received a .258/.332/.380 batting line in 184 plate appearances. It’s not standout production but is at least solid, particularly with Senzel drawing respectable defensive grades in his return to the hot corner.

Cincinnati could opt to deploy Senzel in super-utility fashion, getting him looks at all three outfield spots in addition to third base, second base and perhaps designated hitter. But if De La Cruz hits the ground running — and arguably, even if he doesn’t — the time to get an extended look at him and McLain on the left side of the infield, opposite second baseman Jonathan India (whom the Reds have no inclination to trade), is nigh. The Reds are hopeful that said trio, along with versatile Spencer Steer and minor league slugger Christian Encarnacion-Strand, can comprise their infield of the future.

That group would leave very little in the way of regular playing time for Senzel, the former No. 2 overall draft pick and top prospect whose career has been repeatedly slowed by injuries. Senzel, who’ll turn 28 later this month, has two years of club control beyond the current season, which (speculatively speaking) could make him an intriguing trade candidate to other teams seeking MLB-ready position players. The Reds’ outfield doesn’t have this same looming influx of young talent, so it’s certainly possible that Senzel could just return to the grass on a full-time basis if De La Cruz earns a long-term look in the infield, but Senzel’s role with the club is murkier now than at any point in his still-young career.

Any such decisions are unlikely to be made in the immediate future, though, and the focus for Reds fans is surely on getting their first look at the ballyhooed De La Cruz. The great hope among a Reds fanbase that has felt jilted in the wake of yet another teardown/rebuild and repeated, poorly received public comments from team CEO Phil Castellini, is that between this wave of young infielders and starting pitchers, a return to relevance in the NL Central could happen by next year at the latest — if not as soon as this summer.

NL Central Notes: Reynolds, Williams, Senzel, Santillan

By Mark Polishuk | April 2, 2023 at 4:20pm CDT

Even with three games already in the books on the Pirates’ 2023 season, Bryan Reynolds’ contract status is still the biggest story in Pittsburgh baseball, given the reports from earlier this week suggesting the two sides had made a lot of progress towards an extension. The deal in question appears to be an eight-year, $106MM pact, yet the sticking point appears to be the Pirates’ reluctance to include an opt-out clause for Reynolds following the 2026 season.

It isn’t clear if anything has changed in talks, as Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter links) hears from both sides that, essentially, they “haven’t heard anything” about any further progress. Mackey notes that GM Ben Cherington didn’t mention anything about Reynolds or the contract talks during his weekly radio show today, though naturally it would’ve been a little surprising to hear an executive make any significant public comment on contract negotiations that (apparently) are still ongoing. Opening Day was reportedly viewed as a deadline to get an extension finalized, and while that deadline was completely unofficial, it begs the question or whether or not Reynolds and the Bucs can solve the impasse soon or if the matter might be tabled until the offseason…..or, if Reynolds might be traded elsewhere before the deadline.

More NL Central items….

Devin Williams was hit in the arm by a Dansby Swanson line drive during the ninth inning of yesterday’s game, though Williams remained on the mound to close out the Brewers’ 3-1 win over the Cubs. Williams told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters that the liner “glanced off” his right elbow and “it didn’t feel too good,” leading to a bit of lingering soreness today. While the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, Williams and manager Craig Counsell said that the reliever’s availability for today’s game wouldn’t be known until Williams did some pregame warmups. [UPDATE: Williams didn’t pitch in Milwaukee’s 9-5 win over Chicago, but Counsell said the reliever was available if called upon.]
Nick Senzel and Tony Santillan are slated to begin rehab assignments at Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday, Reds manager David Bell told reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer). Both were hampered by injuries that pushed back their Spring Training work, as Senzel underwent toe surgery during the offseason and Santillan was still recovering from a lower back issue that plagued him during the 2022 campaign. Barring any setbacks, however, Senzel and Santillan appear to be on pace to join the Reds by around the middle of April, with Senzel perhaps moving into a utility role and Santillan stepping back into Cincinnati’s bullpen.

Central Notes: Senzel, Stephenson, Nevin

By Darragh McDonald | March 31, 2023 at 5:06pm CDT

Reds outfielder Nick Senzel is starting the 2023 season on the injured list as offseason toe surgery delayed his start to Spring Training. It was expected that he would be taking over the regular center field job in Cincinnati once healthy but he might transition into more of a utility role. Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the club is preparing him to serve in such a role and he could play third base and the corner outfield positions during his rehab.

Senzel, 28 in June, has a very small amount of third base experience in the big leagues, 32 innings over the past two seasons. He has a slightly largely tally of 49 innings at second base but then over 2,000 innings in center field. Switching things up while also trying to get ready for the season will be a challenge, but it’s understandable why the club would want him to try. He’s hit just .240/.303/.360 in his career so far for a wRC+ of 74. That production isn’t great for a lineup regular but would be more palatable for a multi-positional role player.

2023 is seen by some as a make-or-break year for Senzel, as he’s now into his arbitration years and is making a $1.95MM salary. Despite his tepid production so far, he’s continued to get chances based on the fact that he was once one of the top prospects in the league. Baseball America had him in the top 10 of all MLB prospects in three straight years beginning in 2017. He could be retained via arbitration through 2025, though he’ll have to show the club he’s worth the continued investment. Taking a step forward at the plate would be great but he may also add more defensive versatility this year.

More notes from the central divisions…

The Pirates have informed reporters, including Justice delos Santos of MLB.com, that right-hander Robert Stephenson is beginning a rehab assignment tonight with Triple-A Indianapolis. The righty had been slowed by some arm discomfort this spring and was placed on the 15-day injured list yesterday, with the club describing his ailment as elbow inflammation. Stephenson had a lopsided season in 2022, posting a 6.04 ERA with the Rockies but a 3.38 mark after the Bucs claimed him off waivers. His strikeout rate went from 18.8% with Colorado to 36% with Pittsburgh. The Pirates were bullish enough to give him a $1.75MM salary for 2023, his last arbitration year before he’s slated for free agency. IL placements on Opening Day can be backdated to March 27, meaning Stephenson could be activated April 11 if all goes well between now and then.
The Tigers announced that infielder Tyler Nevin is beginning a rehab assignment today. Acquired from the Orioles in an offseason trade, Nevin suffered an oblique strain three weeks ago and was placed on the injured list yesterday. He hit just .197/.299/.261 with the O’s last year but had a strong .291/.382/.479 line in Triple-A. Prior to the injury, he was in the mix for a third base job alongside Nick Maton and Ryan Kreidler, and the club also recently acquired Zach McKinstry. Nevin still has an option and could potentially stick in Triple-A Toledo when his rehab is done. With his IL placement backdated to March 27, he’ll be eligible to be reinstated on April 6.

Reds Designate Nick Solak For Assignment

By Darragh McDonald | March 30, 2023 at 10:07am CDT

The Reds announced a series of roster moves prior to today’s season opener. They have selected the contracts of right-hander Derek Law, left-hander Alex Young and infielder Jason Vosler. To open places on the 40-man roster, right-handers Tejay Antone and Justin Dunn were placed on the 60-day injured list, while infielder/outfielder Nick Solak was designated for assignment. Additionally, infielder/outfielder Nick Senzel and first baseman Joey Votto were placed on the 10-day injured list while right-handers Tony Santillan, Lucas Sims and Luke Weaver were placed on the 15-day injured list.

Solak, 28, was once a highly-touted prospect who had a strong debut with the Rangers in 2019. He hit .293/.393/.491 that year in 33 games but has struggled since and now carries a career batting line of .252/.327/.372. That amounts to a wRC+ of 93, indicating he’s been about 7% below league average. Concerns about his second base defense also pushed him into the outfield corners, putting more pressure on his bat to provide value. He was traded to the Reds in November but had a rough spring, getting just two hits in 24 plate appearances. Despite his rough showing of late, he might get a shot elsewhere based on his prospect pedigree. He also still has an option remaining and can be stashed in the minors by any team willing to give him a 40-man roster spot.

Young, 29, spent most of last year with the Giants, posting a 2.36 ERA over 25 appearances with an 18.1% strikeout rate, 9.5% walk rate and 54.2% ground ball rate. Despite that solid campaign, he was non-tendered at season’s end and landed a minor league deal with the Reds. He’ll give the club a second lefty in the bullpen alongside Reiver Sanmartin. The right-handed Law will also join that bullpen, which was reported earlier this week.

Vosler, 29, got into 77 games with the Giants over the past two seasons, hitting .228/.306/.421 for a wRC+ of 100. Like Young, he was also non-tendered by the Giants and got a minor league deal from the Reds. He’s played all four infield positions in his career, as well as the outfield corners, giving Cincinnati a versatile player to plug in around their younger players as needed.

Turning to the IL placements, none of them are particularly surprising. Dunn has a shoulder injury that will keep him out of action for a couple of months. Antone has a flexor strain in his forearm that may keep him out until the All-Star break. Votto is still recovering from last year’s shoulder surgery, Weaver is battling forearm discomfort, while Santillan and Sims are dealing with lingering back issues.

Nick Senzel Not Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day

By Anthony Franco | March 13, 2023 at 8:11pm CDT

Reds outfielder Nick Senzel is likely to open the 2023 campaign on the injured list, reports Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The former second overall pick has been delayed this spring after an offseason spent recovering from toe surgery.

Nightengale notes that while there hasn’t been any setback, the Reds are taking things cautiously in Senzel’s ramp-up. He has yet to get into a Spring Training game and isn’t expected to log any exhibition action this week either. Senzel has been taking at-bats in simulated games at Reds’ camp but he’s yet to progress to full speed running or defensive work.

Senzel spent most of the offseason in a walking boot. He’d initially fractured a toe on his left foot last September when he collided with a wall trying to track down a fly ball. The initial expectation was that the issue would resolve itself via rehab. That proved not to be the case, and Senzel underwent surgery in mid-November. The club indicated at the time he was likely to be ready for the start of Spring Training, though he’s apparently progressed a little slower from the surgery than initially anticipated.

Still, it doesn’t appear as though the Reds are anticipating the absence dragging too deep into meaningful games. Assuming Senzel starts the season on the IL, they’ll have a number of outfield options who could take on some extra at-bats in the early going. TJ Friedl, Will Benson and Stuart Fairchild are all capable of manning center field and could battle for reps. That’s also true of rookie Michael Siani, who got into his first nine MLB games late last season after Senzel first went down. Cincinnati optioned Siani to Triple-A Louisville yesterday, though, so it doesn’t seem he’s in consideration for an Opening Day roster spot.

Once he’s able to return to action, Senzel figures to assume the regular center field role. It’s something of a make-or-break season for the Tennessee product, who carries a career .240/.303/.360 line in parts of four big leagues campaigns. Senzel reached arbitration for the first time this offseason and is controllable via that process through 2025.

The Reds’ Numerous Outfield Possibilities

By Anthony Franco | March 3, 2023 at 6:38pm CDT

The Reds go into the 2023 campaign looking at another evaluation year. Cincinnati is coming off a 100-loss season and didn’t make many immediate upgrades over the winter. It’ll be a non-competitive season, one that sees a number of unproven players look to carve out longer-term roles.

No area of the roster is more wide open than the outfield. Cincinnati has eight outfielders on their 40-man roster. Of that group, only offseason signee Wil Myers has a lengthy big league track record. Myers had some ups and downs as a member of the Padres, showcasing strong power potential at times but undercutting it with lofty strikeout totals at others. Signed to a one-year, $7.5MM deal, he’ll surely receive regular playing time either in the corner outfield or at first base. The franchise will hope he’ll hit well enough to draw some attention from contenders at the trade deadline.

Everyone else in the Cincinnati outfield is hoping to earn a consistent spot in the lineup. It’s a similar group to that of the rebuilding Athletics — one that has a glut of upper level options but very little in the way of established big league production.

Jake Fraley, 27, two minor league options remaining

Fraley is probably the favorite for regular reps among the group of unproven players. Acquired from the Mariners in last spring’s Eugenio Suarez/Jesse Winker deal, Fraley put up an impressive .259/.344/.468 line with 12 home runs over his first 247 plate appearances as a Red. Most of that work came in the season’s second half, as he lost a good portion of the beginning of the year to right knee issues.

The lefty-swinging Fraley also posted solid offensive marks in a limited role in Seattle the previous year. He carries a .235/.348/.419 line with 21 homers and 16 doubles in 145 games over the past couple seasons. He doesn’t hit the ball especially hard but makes contact at a decent clip and has an extremely patient offensive approach. Fraley has limited experience in center and right field (rating poorly at both stops); he’s gotten solid reviews from public defensive metrics for his left field glovework.

Nick Senzel, 27, three options remaining

A former #2 overall pick, Senzel was a consensus top prospect before reaching the majors in 2019. He hasn’t met those expectations thus far, struggling to a .240/.303/.360 line in 1036 career plate appearances. A natural third baseman, Senzel moved primarily to center field at the MLB level and has gotten middling to well below-average reviews for his glove from various metrics.

Senzel has shown above-average contact skills at the big league level, though he hasn’t made much of a power impact. Despite his early-career struggles, the Reds have maintained throughout the offseason they plan to give him another crack at seizing the center field job. It feels like a make-or-break season, with Senzel now into his arbitration seasons and having performed below replacement level thus far.

The Reds are obviously still hopeful he can take a long-awaited step forward. He’ll first need to get healthy. Senzel underwent surgery to repair a fractured toe over the offseason. Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote this afternoon that he’s begun swinging a bat in simulated games at the team’s spring complex. He has yet to progress to full speed running.

TJ Friedl, 27, two options remaining

Friedl has been one of the more interesting outfielders in the Cincinnati farm system for a few seasons. He got a brief big league look late in 2021 and received his first extended action last season. In 258 plate appearances across 72 games, he hit at a league average clip: .240/.314/.436 with eight home runs, a modest 7.8% walk percentage and a tiny 15.5% strikeout rate.

The left-handed hitter had more resounding success over a similar stretch of time for Triple-A Louisville. Friedl posted a .278/.371/.468 line with eight homers, an 11.6% walk rate and a 19.9% strikeout percentage over 241 trips with the Bats. That mostly aligns with his longstanding prospect reputation. Friedl doesn’t have much power but he has a solid feel for the strike zone and puts the ball in play with regularity. He can play all three outfield positions, though advanced metrics weren’t enthused with his first MLB work on the grass. Friedl has typically been regarded by prospect evaluators as a high-probability fourth/fifth outfielder. The upcoming campaign could be his best opportunity to outperform that expectation.

Will Benson, 24, three options remaining

Benson, acquired from the Guardians last month, has a polar opposite approach from Friedl. He’s also a left-handed batter but boasts huge power upside with a long track record of lofty strikeout totals. A former first-round draftee whose prospect shine had dimmed, Benson put himself back on the map with arguably a career-best season last year.

In 89 games with Cleveland’s top minor league affiliate, he hit .278/.426/.522 with 17 home runs. Benson walked a massive 18.7% clip — par for the course throughout his career — and struck out in an average 22.7% of his trips. It was the first time he’d posted a strikeout rate below 28% at any stop and only his second season fanning in fewer than 30% of his PA’s. Benson didn’t produce in a 28-game MLB cameo and was still buried on Cleveland’s outfield depth chart, but his step forward intrigued the Reds enough to take a look. He’s best suited for right field and can cover center on occasion.

Nick Solak, 28, one option remaining

Another one-time top prospect, Solak has had some inconsistent performances the past few years with the Rangers. He had an excellent 33-game debut in 2019. Since the start of 2020, however, the righty-swinging Solak carries a modest .246/.317/.354 line in 839 MLB plate appearances. Longstanding concerns about his defense at second base eventually pushed him to left field, where he has gotten subpar grades from public statistics.

To his credit, Solak hasn’t allowed his MLB inconsistency to bleed into his performance in the minor leagues. Optioned to Triple-A by Texas last season, he put up an impressive .278/.371/.489 mark with 10 longballs, an 11.6% walk rate and a 19.7% strikeout percentage in 57 contests. The Rangers never seemed to trust him enough to give him an extended look despite woeful MLB production from their left fielders, though. Texas dealt him to Cincinnati for cash immediately after the season ended.

Michael Siani, 23, three options remaining

A former fourth-round pick, Siani has spent the past few seasons ranked among the middle tiers of the Cincinnati farm system. Praised for his speed and defensive acumen in center field, he went 49 for 61 as a basestealer over 121 Double-A games last year. His overall .252/.351/.404 line with 12 home runs at that level was solid if unexceptional for a 22-year-old. Siani earned cups of coffee in both Louisville and Cincinnati towards the end of the season.

It stands to reason Cincinnati will start Siani back in Triple-A given his lack of experience there. Baseball America ranked him the organization’s #19 prospect this winter, projecting him as a glove-first fourth outfielder.

Stuart Fairchild, 26, one option remaining

A former Cincinnati second-round pick, Fairchild was dealt to the Diamondbacks at the 2020 trade deadline. He made his MLB debut with Arizona the following season, getting into 12 games. The Wake Forest product bounced around via minor trade and waivers last year, playing in four different organizations. He finished the season back with his original club when the Reds nabbed him off waivers from the Giants in June.

Fairchild played in 38 games for Cincinnati, connecting on five home runs in 99 trips. He struck out 29 times while drawing only eight walks but showed intriguing power. That was also the case in Triple-A, where he combined for a .258/.353/.490 line in 53 contests despite the constant uniform changes. He’s capable of playing all three outfield positions.

Chad Pinder, 30, not on 40-man roster

Pinder, a longtime member of the Athletics, signed a non-roster pact with a major league Spring Training invitation this winter. He’s coming off a .235/.263/.385 showing in 111 games for Oakland. The right-handed hitting Pinder has some power and a decent track record of hitting lefty pitching. He’s versatile enough to cover anywhere on the infield in addition to his corner outfield work. Pinder seems to have a strong chance at securing a bench role given that flexibility and Cincinnati’s fairly left-handed outfield mix. As a major league free agent who signed a minor league contract, he’ll have an automatic opt-out opportunity five days before the start of the regular season if he’s not added to the MLB roster.

Overall

Aside from Pinder, former highly-regarded prospect Allan Cerda and KBO veteran Henry Ramos are also in camp on non-roster contracts. Neither looks to have a strong chance at cracking the Opening Day roster considering the number of alternative outfield options for the front office and coaching staff to evaluate.

Myers is the only member of the current group who can’t be sent to the minor leagues, although Pinder couldn’t be optioned if he cracks the MLB roster. That could set the stage for plenty of shuffling over the next six months. The organization is surely hoping two or three players from the group will cement themselves as everyday options based on their 2023 production, lending some clarity to the longer-term mix.

NL Central Notes: Mikolas, Walker, Hill, Senzel

By Mark Polishuk | February 26, 2023 at 10:19pm CDT

Miles Mikolas didn’t exactly suggest that he might give the Cardinals a so-called hometown discount in a new contract, even though the team’s spring camp is located in his actual hometown of Jupiter, Florida. Mikolas noted to MLB.com’s John Denton that when he returned to the big leagues after pitching in Japan from 2015-17, “I had four or five offers that were all about the same, and I chose the Cardinals because of the organization, the fanbase and because Spring Training is in my hometown. There are always a lot of factors that play into it, and they’ll play into it if I have a decision to make down the road.” Of course, Mikolas also noted that other teams play near Jupiter, and joked that he wouldn’t necessarily be tied to the area since “the fishing is still pretty good on the west coast [of Florida].”

Mikolas said that “everything about being a Cardinal is fantastic” and that he is happy with St. Louis. As far as a long-term deal is concerned, “those decisions aren’t always up to the player. My job is to go out there and get outs as efficiently as I can, and that’s what I’m going to focus on.” After his initial deal with the Cardinals, Mikolas already agreed to one extension with the club, and 2023 is the final season of that four-year, $68MM pact. The Cards’ pitching outlook is a major storyline hanging over the team’s season, as Mikolas, Jack Flaherty, and Jordan Montgomery are all slated to free agency next winter and Adam Wainwright will retire after the year.

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