Cincinnati Reds: Who will be demoted when Nick Senzel makes his debut?

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PITTSBURGH, PA – JUNE 15: Scott Schebler #43 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates after scoring on a sacrifice fly in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on June 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Scott Schebler, Outfielder

It seems too easy, right? Why keep Scott Schebler on the major league roster if the plan is promote his successor to the big leagues? While Schebler still does have minor league options, I’m a little hesitant to just cut bait with the current Reds’ center fielder.

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If the decision was made to send down Scott Schebler so he could figure out what in the world has gone wrong with his swing, I would not object. Since the season began, Schebler has been a shell of the player who we saw win the starting center fielder job in Spring Training.

It’s not the .135 batting average that befuddles me; every player goes through slumps, Scheb’s just happens to be at the beginning of the season. It’s the strikeout to walk ratio that really has me puzzled.

Schebler showed incredible patience during Spring Training, drawing 11 walks while striking out times. Schebler also had a .490 on-base percentage and 2 home runs during Cactus League play. While I still maintain that Nick Senzel should have made the Opening Day roster, Schebler deserved his spot too.

If the decision is made to send Schebler down to Triple-A Louisville to get some more regular at-bats, I’m fine with that. But, I would argue that Schebler would be the perfect player to give Senzel a night off once or twice a week when the pitching matchup is favorable.

Scott Schebler also provides a left-handed bat off the bench and the ability to play all three outfield spots. In my opinion, Schebler is a fourth outfielder, and with Senzel on his way up, Scheb’s could fit that role very nicely and still get two to three starts per week.

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