Cincinnati Reds: Five bold predictions for spring training

The Cincinnati Reds spring training in Goodyear, Arizona officially begins on Tuesday. What are five bold predictions as we head into full squad workouts?

Pitchers and catcher reported to Goodyear just a couple days ago and all position players are required to report by Sunday with full squad workouts commencing on Tuesday. Cincinnati Reds fans expect big things from their team this season, but spring training always offers some surprises. What are five bold predictions we could see come true during camp?

The Reds front office has done a great job assembling a competitive team. Dick Williams, Nick Krall and the entire organization put in a lot of time and effort over the winter and it’s time to see if those moves paid off.

Several players have already descended on Goodyear, Arizona. Among them were Joey Votto, Nick Senzel and the newest Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos. There seems to be a renewed energy among both the players and the fans.

So, while optimism fills the air, there’s still some pessimism that hangs over the ball club. After all, the Reds have had six consecutive losing seasons and haven’t won a playoff series since the 1995 NLDS. So it’s understandable for fans to temper their expectations just a bit.

However, overall the feeling around the club is one of excitement. Fans can’t wait until their team steps onto the grass at Great American Ball Park on March 26th. However, spring training offers an opportunity to sort out any outstanding questions. It also give us a chance to predict what may happen before the season starts. Let’s do that right now.

2. Aristides Aquino begins the season in Triple-A

This may be a downer to some fans, but it’s becoming more and more clear that Aristides Aquino is likely to start the 2020 season at Triple-A Louisville. After exploding onto the scene in August, The Punisher saw a major downturn in his production.

After Yasiel Puig was traded to the Cleveland Indians, the Cincinnati Reds inserted Aquino into the starting lineup. Aquino entered the major league record books during his first month on the job, clobbering 14 home runs, racking up 33 RBIs and posting an OPS of 1.158 through 29 games in August.

The Punisher, after taking home Player of the Month honors for the month August, didn’t find the same level of success in September. Aquino went 20-for-102 (.196) during the final month of the season, ending the year with a .259 batting average.

Aquino’s performance during the Dominican Winter League didn’t offer a lot of promise. The 25-year-old slashed .209/.255/.395 with just one home run in 47 plate appearances. It may be that pitchers have figured out how to pitch to The Punisher.

Aristides Aquino will be given every chance to win a spot on the 26-man roster, but he has a minor-league option remaining. With Phillip Ervin out of options, the additions of Shogo Akiyama and Nick Castellanos, plus Nick Senzel and Jesse Winker competing for playing time in the outfield, it’s going to be difficult for Aquino to make the Opening Day roster.

3. Michael Lorenzen spends more time in the field than on the mound

Michael Lorenzen played in played in 100 games last season, 73 of which were as a reliever. However, Mikey Biceps also showed promise as an outfielder, starting six games in center field for the Cincinnati Reds in 2019. Look for David Bell to experiment a bit this spring, seeing how Lorenzen responds on the outfield grass.

Now, I’m not suggesting that Lorenzen becomes an outfielder rather than a pitcher. In fact, he’s much more valuable to this club out of the bullpen. Last season, Lorenzen went 1-4 with a 2.92 ERA in 73 relief appearances and was unquestionably the Reds best reliever.

So why mess with a good thing? Well, with the roster expanding from 25 to 26 and Major League Baseball capping a team’s pitchers at 13, designating Lorenzen as a two-way player could add another arm to the Reds bullpen.

According to MLB.com, a player must pitch 20 Major League innings and have 20 games played as a position player or designated hitter, with at least three plate appearances in each of those 20 games, in either the current or previous MLB season. Lorenzen is almost halfway there, earning three of more plate appearances in eight games last season.

Fan or not, this appears to be the direction that David Bell is going with Michael Lorenzen. It also seems as though Lorenzen welcomes the challenge. Bell said back in December, via the Cincinnati Enquirer, that he held Lorenzen back. I don’t expect we’ll see that in 2020. Look for Lorenzen to get a lot of work in the outfield during spring training.

4. Scott Schebler makes the Opening Day roster

Whoa! Wait a minute. Is Scott Schebler still on the team? Surprisingly, yes, Schebs is still on the 40-man roster. I, like many fans, am curious as to why. However, the Reds have had ample opportunities to let Schebler go, but the 29-year-old is still hanging around. This makes me think that Cincinnati knows something we don’t.

Now, it seems really presumptive to think that Scott Schebler will earn a spot on the Opening day roster with the likes of Nick Castellanos, Shogo Akiyama, Jesse Winker and Nick Senzel already on the roster. I mean, c’mon, would the Reds really keep Schebler and let a player like Phillip Ervin go?

I’m not suggesting that Schebler makes the team over the likes of Winker or Ervin, but I’m not ruling out a trade either. With such a plethora of talent in the Cincinnati outfield, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Reds made a deal at some point between now and the beginning of the regular season.

Might Dick Williams and Nick Krall look to replenish the farm system a bit? After all, Cincinnati let go of a lot of talented minor leaguers over the past two seasons. Taylor Trammell, Shed Long, Josiah Gray, Jeter Downs and Scott Moss are all playing for other teams.

If Cincinnati decides to deal one of the trio of Schebler, Winker or Ervin, there’s little else the Reds may be looking to add to the big league roster aside from a reliever or two. The probably of Schebler making the team with the roster as it is currently constructed is slim, but if the Reds make a deal before Opening Day, don’t rule out Schebs’ presence on the squad.

5. Kyle Farmer earns a starting spot on Opening Day

Kyle Farmer is a virtual lock to make the Opening Day roster. The Georgia native is versatile enough to play all over the infield, including behind the plate. With Eugenio Suárez potentially missing a few games to start the season, there could be an opening at third base. Farmer has a legitimate shot to start on Opening Day if Geno is still on the mend.

We all want Suárez to be ready for the start of the regular season, and it appears that may happen. The latest report from Mark Sheldon of MLB.com suggests that Geno, who was thought to be questionable to start the season due to a shoulder injury, may be ready for action when the St. Louis Cardinals come to town on March 26th.

However, if Suárez is unable to go on Opening Day, the infield will have to endure a bit of shuffling. There’s several routes the Reds could go, but its very likely that Mike Moustakas would slide over and play third base. Should that happen, there’ll be a vacancy at second base.

Cincinnati has no shortage of player capable of playing second base. Josh VanMeter, Alex Blandino, perhaps Nick Senzel, and even the recently signed Derek Dietrich can all occupy the position. But don’t be surprised if Farmer emerges and snags a starting spot in lineup if Suárez is out of commission to begin the season.

According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, Reds skipper David Bell sees the need for depth at shortstop and is likely to give Farmer a long look during spring training. If there’s any injury to another infielder during camp, Farmer will likely get the call. It may seem like a long shot, but while the outfield depth is excessive, the Reds are very thin across the infield.

So there you have it folks. Five bold predictions for the Cincinnati Reds during spring training. Which do you see as the most likely? Which one is sure to be wrong? What’s your bold prediction for the team over the next several weeks?