Cincinnati Reds: Is Nick Senzel or Jesse Winker more likely to be traded?

Should the Reds trade Jesse Winker?

Jesse Winker brings an energy and enthusiasm to the ball club that few others on Cincinnati’s team do. His playful nature with the fans, chest bumps with teammates, and constant rah-rah attitude makes Winker very likable. But that doesn’t always translate to success on the field, leading some to believe that Winker should be packaged in a trade before the season begins.

Winker’s biggest downfall may be the injuries he’s suffered. Both in 2018 and 2019, the 26-year-old ended his season on the injured list. Last year, Winker played in 114 games, while the year prior he only made it through 89 games. The injuries are definitely concerning, but one could say the same for Senzel.

Another knock on Winker is his inability to hit against left-handed pitchers. To be fair, David Bell didn’t give Winker many opportunities to prove that he could hit against southpaws, oftentimes substituting Phillip Ervin or even José Peraza for the left-handed slugger.

Winker got off to a horrendous start last season, but righted the ship and finished 2019 with a career-high 16 home runs and 38 RBIs. The Buffalo native also slashed .269/.357/.473, finishing with an OPS+ of 111. His .830 OPS, while solid, was the lowest of his three-year major league career.

Jesse Winker has a few more red flags. While his defense was improved last season, Winker is not an elite-level defender. While Nick Senzel doesn’t have that type of player profile either, Winker is not even close to the athlete Senzel is. Winker lacks speed on the base paths and in the outfield. Though not asked to do, I think it’s plausible that Senzel could play every outfield spot. Winker cannot.

Now, while most fans and experts would likely agree that Senzel is the better of the two ball players and has a higher ceiling, that doesn’t make Winker an instant candidate to be traded. In fact, there’s a lot of things Winker does well that make him a player who can very easily be a leader on next year’s team.

Winker is historically a high on-base guy, something highly regarded in today’s game. The former first-round draft pick also has good power from the left side, another highly coveted quality in Major League Baseball. Jesse Winker may not have that “everyday” player label that Senzel does, but that doesn’t mean Cincinnati should just ship him out of town.

I for one can see an upside in keeping Winker. At 26, he’s still relatively young by baseball standards and does not even reach his first year of arbitration eligibility until next offseason. However, those are qualities other franchises would look highly upon as well, making Winker a viable trade candidate.

When it comes to potential deals for Jesse Winker, I don’t think he moves the needle enough for clubs to include a top-notch star like Lindor. However, with the free agent reliever market drying up, perhaps Winker could be dealt for some bullpen help.

The Cincinnati Reds have some decisions to make and plenty of options as well. There’s still the possibility that both Winker and Senzel are on next year’s team, but I’d think a position change would be in order for that to happen. Both Nick Senzel and Jesse Winker possess several desirable tools that could help the Reds win in 2020, or could be used to secure another piece or two through a trade.