3 bold moves to turn the Reds into a title contender

2. The Reds make Jose Barrero the everyday centerfielder.

This is sure to ruffle some feathers, but there's a reason the Cincinnati Reds gave Jose Barrero the opportunity to showcase his talents in the outfield toward the end of last season.

The Reds cannot rely on Nick Senzel to be the team's everyday centerfielder in 2022. Senzel, while brimming with talent, has proven one thing since his major league debut; he cannot stay healthy.

There is not single prospect in Cincinnati's farm system who looks the part of an everyday centerfielder. Michael Siani is the closest thing, and to this point, he's shown that he's merely an elite defender. Until Siani shows he can hit, the Reds will keep him on the farm.

Kyle Farmer showed that he can be the Reds everyday shortstop. While a wRC+ of 91 and a .732 OPS are not outstanding by any means, you can make the argument that Farmer's defense more than makes up for his lack of hitting.

Barrero has the athleticism to play center field. We saw the Reds convert Senzel from an infielder to an outfielder, and while that experiment has gone awry, there are plenty of examples (Kris Bryant, Chris Taylor, and Whit Merrifield) of a successful transition from the infield dirt to the outfield grass.

Jose Barrero must be on the Opening Day roster next season and has to be in the lineup on a regular basis. The question then becomes, would you rather have Kyle Farmer on the bench or Nick Senzel?

Senzel's track record does not offer a lot of confidence, so I'm suggesting he be the first bat off the bench and Barrero start in center field with Farmer remaining the team's everyday shortstop. Hey, I told you these were bold moves.