When Nick Senzel hit the disabled list at the beginning of May with another bout of vertigo, it was blow to the psyche of what little hope the Reds fanbase had to look forward to. After spending nearly four weeks on the disabled list, he returned to the lineup in Triple-A on May 29th. Senzel would go 0-7 in those first two games, but he was hitting the ball hard in both games. He just happened to hit the ball hard right at guys.
On May 31st he went 1-4 with a double and a walk. Nick Senzel hasn’t let up since then. It’s been two weeks and he’s hitting .372 over that span with six walks and just seven strikeouts. He’s also slugging .512. He’s gotten a hit in all of the games but one since the 31st, and in the hitless game? Senzel walked twice. Oh yeah, and he’s pretty smooth on defense at both third base and second base, where he’s been seeing time with Louisville.
It sounds like the Cincinnati Reds have no plan to bring up Nick Senzel anytime soon. And truthfully, it makes sense with both Eugenio Suarez and Scooter Gennett doing what they are currently doing at the big league level. That’s going to give him time in Triple-A to just keep doing what he’s been doing. Even though I fully believe that he’s 100% capable of performing in the Major Leagues right now, there’s simply not a spot to play him in Cincinnati right now. And no, he’s not a shortstop. And no, neither is Eugenio Suarez, so I’m just going to stop your fantasy baseball maneuvering of players to positions that they can’t actually play in the Major Leagues before you even start. If the Reds felt Suarez or Senzel could play shortstop, then by whatever God you believe in, they would be playing shortstop right now. But they aren’t. Because they can’t.
Ibandel Isabel can’t be stopped
The Cincinnati Reds made a whole lot of weird decisions at the end of spring training and the first week of the year. One of those was to sign Yovani Gallardo, and that led to the team designating Ariel Hernandez for assignment. They wound up trading him to the Dodgers for reliever Zach Neal and first baseman Ibandel Isabel.
When Isabel joined the Reds organization he had already hit one home run on the season. In the 40 games since he arrived to the Cincinnati organization he’s hit 16. In Daytona. Who plays in the toughest league in minor league baseball to hit for power in.
On May 26th, Ibandel Isabel began an incredible run of power. He went 1-5 that day with a home run. The Daytona Tortugas were then rained out for the next week. They’ve played 14 games in the last 12 days thanks to multiple double headers. In the 15 games since May 26th began, the 22-year-old (he turns 23 in a week) has hit 11 home runs. He currently leads the league in home runs with 16. Only five other players have reached double digit home runs. The 11 home runs he’s hit in his last 15 games? Yeah, that alone would tie him for the league lead with two other players.
If the front office starts making player decisions on how it effects the fan base we are in more trouble then I thought.
If Juan Pierre and Johnny Damon could play center because of their arms, then Taylor Trammell can, too. It’s a below-average arm, and you will give back a little bit to base runners on it, but catching the ball is far more important, IMO, for a center fielder, than a base a guy may take who has already reached.
Lol.. I’m not necessarily debating your assertion that Suarez or Senzel can’t play shortstop, but too be so self-assured in yer analysis, “If the Reds felt Suarez or Senzel could play shortstop, then by whatever God you believe in, they would be playing shortstop right now. But they aren’t. Because they can’t,” only to follow that up in your very next paragraph starting with the line ‘The Cincinnati Reds made a whole lot of weird decisions at the end of spring training and the first week of the year,’ doesn’t do a whole lot to inspire confidence in your argument that the Reds know who is capable of what.. plus isn’t Suarez a converted shortstop, or am I wrong?