Cincinnati Reds: Moving Nick Senzel to shortstop may be the answer

After the Cincinnati Reds signed Shogo Akiyama, the question now becomes, what happens to Nick Senzel? The easiest answer may be to move him to shortstop.

Could another position change be in the cards for Nick Senzel? After switching from third base to center field last offseason, Senzel showed great ability in adapting to his new position. Will the Cincinnati Reds ask the same of him this spring? With Shogo Akiyama, an experienced centerfielder reportedly in the fold, perhaps Senzel could find a home back on the infield dirt.

While playing at the University of Tennessee, Nick Senzel was primarily a third baseman. The Reds knew this when they drafted Senzel with the No. 2 overall pick back in 2016. What the front office might not have planned on is the rapid ascension of current third baseman Eugenio Suárez, who is one of the best at his position and has a stranglehold on third base for the next several years.

Until 2018, Senzel had played third base exclusively while playing in the minor leagues. That year, knowing that the impending free agency of Scooter Gennett was on the horizon and Suárez was signed to a multi-year extension, Senzel was given some opportunities at second base. Senzel spent 14 games at third base and 29 at second base. He also saw one game at shortstop.

That one game obviously isn’t going to give the Reds enough information about Senzel’s ability to make the transition to shortstop, but he definitely has the physical tools to play the position. After being drafted in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft, Senzel was already the team’s No. 1 prospect that season according to MLB Pipeline.

According to MLB Pipeline, Senzel had a plus-arm (55 on the scouting scale) coming out of UT, and anyone who has the ability to make the throw from center field to home plate surely has the arm strength to make the throw from deep in the hole at shortstop to first base. Also, toady’s game is all about the shift, and less of an importance has been placed on defense.

Reds Country was dazzled by the acrobatics of José Iglesias last season, and while Senzel may not be able to make all those flashy plays that we saw from Iglesias, he’s a capable infield defender. There’s no doubt in my mind that Senzel can make the transition from third baseman to centerfielder to shortstop. The question is, will the Reds go down that road?