Cincinnati Reds: Three dark horse candidates to make the taxi squad

2. Scott Schebler, Former Cincinnati Reds starter

I’m sure to get a lot of flack for this choice, but I don’t care. I firmly believe that Nick Senzel should’ve been the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day starter in center field last season, but I want to be clear that Scott Schebler put up some phenomenal numbers last spring and earned a spot on the roster. Schebler should, at the very least, get a seat on the taxi squad.

I know, with the plethora of outfielders on the Reds, why would you want to keep a player like Scott Schebler. Heading into the season, you’d have to figure that the Reds were going to carry five outfielders (Nick Castellanos, Shogo Akiyama, Nick Senzel, Jesse Winker and Phillip Ervin). If the active roster is now going to sit at 30, go ahead an add Aristides Aquino or Mark Payton as well.

So, under the prediction that either Aquino or Payton make the active roster, you’d have to assume that the other would be on the taxi squad and likely the first outfielder called-up if needed. So who else fills out the outfield of the taxi squad? I’d make the case for Schebler to be the No. 2 outfielder on the taxi squad.

Yes, his horrendous start to the 2019 season has been well-documented. But, so was the injury that cut short his minor league season as well. Schebler hit 30 home runs in 2017; don’t forget that. Schebler offers a better bat than Travis Jankowski and Stuart Fairchild needs more seasoning. I think Schebs makes the cut and finds his way on the Reds taxi squad.