Cincinnati Reds: Why are fans upset with Nick Senzel playing center field?

It’s been a point of contention since Nick Senzel made his debut last season. Why are Cincinnati Reds fans so upset about Senzel playing center field?

Just a few days ago, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer stated that the Cincinnati Reds were planning to keep Nick Senzel in center field heading into the 2020 season. While I’m perfectly content with the idea of last year’s rookie playing center field, plenty of fans throughout Reds Country don’t like it.

Let’s put aside the injury concerns for a moment. Some people refer to Senzel as “injury prone”, which I think is unfair. Yes, he finished last season on the injured list, but after having surgery to repair a torn labrum, it appears that Senzel is about ready to rejoin his teammates on the field this coming week.

There’s enough noise via social media to have this discussion. A lot of Reds fans have been very vocal about wanting to see Cincinnati abandon the idea of playing Senzel in the outfield and see the 24-year-old return to the infield dirt. Why?

First, can we all agree that Nick Senzel’s bat belongs in the lineup? The former first-round pick was not taken No. 2 overall to sit the pine. He’s had just over 100 games in the major leagues, but every scout will swear that Senzel has the potential to be a star.

Okay, now let’s get into the logistics. If you’re of the mindset that Nick Senzel should be an infielder and not a centerfielder, where would he play? Third base is occupied by, perhaps, the best player on the team in Eugenio Suárez. Geno is hopeful to be back by the start of the regular season after suffering a shoulder injury during the offseason.

Want him to play second base? Sorry, that spot is now occupied by Mike Moustakas who signed a four-year/$64M contract with the Reds this offseason. Moose, who’s not a second baseman by the way, brings a reliable bat to the middle of the batting order.

Now, there are those fans that feel Senzel would be better option at shortstop than Freddy Galvis. That’s an idea that I can somewhat get behind, but Senzel hasn’t played a lick of shortstop at the big league level, while Galvis has over 700 games at the position.

In a season where Cincinnati is looking to compete, it seems a bit foolhardy to ask Senzel to learn an entirely new position. Had Senzel been healthy throughout the offseason, perhaps the idea would have more merit. There’s also a young prospect tearing up the Cactus League right now who happens to play shortstop.

Jose Garcia has burst onto the scene this spring. The 21-year-old now has three home runs in the first week of spring ball and can hold down the position defensively. Why teach Senzel a new position only to have him move once again when Garcia is major league-ready in a year or two?

Michael Siani is currently the best center field prospect in the farm system, ranked No. 8 within the organization according to MLB Pipeline. The former fourth-round pick has a lot of work to do in the coming years, having not yet played beyond Single-A Dayton. The Reds released Jose Siri this past winter and Stuart Fairchild still has at least a year before he’s big league-ready.

David Bell spoke to Nightengale about his desire to keep Senzel in center field this coming season. Again, had Senzel been healthy all winter, perhaps the University of Tennessee product could’ve expanded his positional versatility, but for now, it sounds as though Bell wants Senzel to stick in center:

"“I don’t think there’s any question his athletic ability would allow him to play all three outfield positions, but he’s on a little bit of a different situation the way I’m looking at it. He’s still new to the outfield. He’s been an infielder his whole life. He took a big step and handled it extremely well just playing center field last year. I’d be less motivated to move him to the corner outfield positions.”"

Nick Senzel will fill one of two roles this upcoming season; centerfielder or super utility player. However, I’m banking that we see the 2016 first-round pick occupy center field more times than not. The Reds have more than enough depth to cover any injuries that may occur in the infield and the corner outfield spots will be covered.

While Cincinnati did sign Shogo Akiyama this offseason, there’s no telling how the Japanese star will transition to Major League Baseball. I think we’ll see Akiyama give Senzel a day off here and there, but more times than not, I expect the 31-year-old free agent signee to occupy left field.

Reds fans will continue to debate where Nick Senzel fits in the grand scheme of things until he proves that he can hold up to the rigors of a major league season. I look for Senzel to do that this season. If Cincinnati hopes to compete for the NL Central crown, Senzel must be a key part of the everyday lineup.