Cincinnati Reds: Taylor Trammell’s ascension will dictate free agency

The case for Scooter Gennett

Will the hometown hero give the Reds a hometown discount? That’s what it may come down to if Scooter Gennett was to stay in the Queen City. The injury that kept Scooter out of the lineup until late June will have a huge impact on what Gennett is able to secure in free agency, be it with the Reds or another organization.

I think the writing is on the wall. I find it highly unlikely that the Reds re-sign Gennett. Scooter, while a fantastic player, lacks a few things that it appears this organization values going forward. Gennett lacks the versatility that David Bell seems to crave. While Yasiel Puig is essentially limited to playing just right field, his defense at that position is elite, Gennett’s is not.

Scooter does hit for a much better average historically than Puig. Last season, Gennett battled Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL batting title, but Gennett struggled to get the bat on the ball down the stretch. Even still, Gennett finished with a .310 batting average after hitting .295 the previous year.

Gennett is definitely a leader in the Reds’ clubhouse. He’s the type of player that young players rally towards and he possesses great leadership skills. While Puig seems to have the ability to put a team on his back, his mysterious nature gives the appearance of one who’s never going to be a vocal leader on a team.

Gennett definitely would come at a cheaper rate than Puig, and that may be the saving grace that lands a contract extension. The majority of second baseman do not carry the same contractual value as a power-hitting corner outfielder. Gennett’s AAV on a contact could be $5M less than Puig’s.

Should the Cincinnati Reds hang onto Gennett over Puig, it would stand to reason that the outfield going forward might place Trammell in left field, Senzel in center, and Jesse Winker in right. The Reds will definitely have some interesting decisions to make going forward. Either way, the future looks bright for the Cincinnati outfield.