3 Reds position battles that will be impacted greatly by abbreviated spring training

3. The position battle for the Reds starting centerfielder.

While it may be a bit under-the-radar compared to the other position battles, it'll be interesting to see who lines up in center field for the Cincinnati Reds on Opening Day. There's at least three, if not four, possibilities.

Let's get this out of the way first; if Nick Senzel is fully recovered from last year's knee injury, he'll be in center field on Opening Day for the Reds. The front office made the decision prior to the 2019 season that Senzel was moving to outfield, and Nick Krall seems to have dug in his heels as far as that's concerned. Don't look for Senzel to try his hand as an infielder in 2022.

That said, the former first-round pick has never played more than 104 games in a season, and there's no way David Bell can rely on Nick Senzel to be an everyday player in the Reds lineup. That's why a platoon of Senzel and the combination of Shogo Akiyama and TJ Friedl could work.

Both Akiyama and Friedl play above-average defense up the middle. Friedl's speed can be an asset on the base paths, and last year's rookie has decent pop in his bat as well. Akiyama, on the other hand, has proven to be little more than a slap-hitter.

Another name to consider is Aristides Aquino. The Punisher might be entering his final spring in Goodyear unless things turn around. Aquino is out of minor league options, and the 27-year-old is hoping to be a regular in David Bell's lineup.

While perhaps a bit out of his comfort zone, Aquino has shown in the past that he has the speed and the arm strength to hold down the position defensively. And no one is going to question The Punisher's power. The problem is, Aquino hasn't shown the ability to hit the breaking pitch. If he was able to work on that over the offseason, Aquino may be in line for time in center field as well.

All of this talk is for naught if the Cincinnati Reds sign another outfielder after the lockout concludes. If the front office adds a corner outfielder via trade or a free agent signing, Tyler Naquin would then slide over to center field and likely platoon with Nick Senzel.