Cincinnati Reds: Three players who should be sent to the alternate site

It’s time for the Reds to send these three players to Prasco Park.

The Cincinnati Reds have started out sluggish. Last week’s postponement didn’t help, but Major League Baseball erred on the side of caution and kept the Redlegs out of action for four days. With play now resumed and Cincinnati sitting several games off the pace of the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs, the Reds need to get the best 28 players on the field.

The 2020 season is different than any we’ve ever seen in the history of baseball. The coronavirus pandemic halted spring training, reduced the season to just 60 games and has paused the schedule of three different MLB teams, including the Reds. While oftentimes teams would option a player to the minors in order to get them right, things are a bit different this season.

Every team has a 60-man player pool. The Reds, and every other major league team, have an active roster of 28 players and up to 32 players are able to workout and practice at an alternate site. The Reds chose Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio to be the team’s alternate site and we’ve seen the front office make several moves already this season, plucking players from Mason to join the team in Cincinnati.

Now, when a player is sent to the alternate site, teams must use a player’s minor-league option or designate that player for assignment. Doing so exposes that player to waivers. We saw that happen earlier this season with Christian Colón.

With the Reds struggling to score runs and the bullpen struggling to maintain leads, surely there are some better options at Prasco Park, right? If so, who should Cincinnati designate for assignment or option to the alternate site in order to bring up a replacement?

1. Reds outfielder Travis Jankowski

It’s time. In fact, it’s well past time for Travis Jankowski to be optioned to the alternate site. To be honest, I don’t know how he’s lasted this long on the roster. Jankowski is a spot starter at best, and there are plenty of other options already on the active roster or at Prasco Park that would provide Cincinnati with better results on the field.

I don’t want to pick apart Jankowski’s game, but we know what he is. He’s fast! That’s great if you can afford to utilize a roster spot for a player that fills a niche. However, in this 60-game season, despite the additional roster spots, Jankowski is taking up a spot that could be used for someone who can actually get on base.

In 15 at-bats, Jankowski has one hit (0.67 batting average). What good is having someone with speed on the base paths if they can’t get on the base paths? It’s also not as if Jankowski is lightyears faster than some of the other players on the Reds.

Jankowski’s sprint speed last season, according to Baseball Savant, was 27.4 feet per second. That’s actually the lowest of his career. Nick Senzel’s sprint speed of 29.0 feet per second is in the Top 4% of the league this season. Even Phillip Ervin, while not a burner, has a respectable sprint speed of 27.2 feet per second. Travis Jankowski is replaceable.

2. Reds infielder Josh VanMeter

Josh VanMeter broke onto the scene last spring after having a boatload of success for the Cincinnati Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, the Louisville Bats, to begin the 2019 season. VanMeter’s power from the left side earned him a promotion to the big leagues, but he’s yet to have staying power at the big league level.

VanMeter yoyo’d between Cincinnati and Louisville last season and looks to have the makeup of a player that needs consistent reps in order to be successful. Unfortunately for VanMeter, he’s unlikely to get that with the Reds this season. Cincinnati filled the holes in their lineup with freee agent acquisitions, most of whom occupy spots he could’ve played.

When the Reds signed Mike Moustakas in December, that was a clear signal that they were hoping to compete this season. It also should’ve rang true with VanMeter as to their plans for the 25-year-old. He would have a role similar to that of 2019; a utility player who could be called upon to pinch hit.

With Moose now back in the lineup, the Reds infield is pretty full. I’d even argue that Kyle Farmer is a much better option defensively should any of the Cincinnati infielders need a day off. VanMeter is average defensively, and the Reds infield has already been decimated by poor defensive play this season.

Under normal circumstances, we’d probably see VanMeter playing every day at Triple-A Louisville and continuing to hone his skills at the dish and in the field with the hopes of receiving a call to the bigs. However, this season doesn’t afford VanMeter that option, and Cincinnati may have some other players at Prasco Park that would better fit a need right now.