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3 Reds players whose career in Cincinnati may be over after 2022

ByDrew Koch|
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Nick Senzel (15) throws to first base after fielding a ground ball.
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Nick Senzel (15) throws to first base after fielding a ground ball. | Kareem Elgazzar / The Enquirer via Imagn
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Cincinnati Reds right fielder Aristides Aquino (44) flexes.
Cincinnati Reds right fielder Aristides Aquino (44) flexes. | Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

3. Reds OF Aristides Aquino must assert himself in spring training.

What in the world happened to The Punisher? After breaking onto the big stage in August in 2019, Aristides Aquino has essentially fallen on his face. The 27-year-old has been part of the Cincinnati Reds organization for a long time, but if Aquino cannot produce during spring training, there may be no spot for him on the Reds Opening Day roster.

Aquino has one thing going for him heading into spring camp; Nick Castellanos is unlikely to be on the team. After a breakout season in 2019, Cincinnati signed Castellanos to a four-year/$64M contract. That deal moved Aquino from the team's likely starter in right field to a bench bat.

I'm not faulting the Reds one bit for signing Castellanos. That was a star player that fell into their lap after the market just wasn't there for the former Detroit Tigers outfielder following the 2019 season. But, with Castellanos in right field, Jesse Winker in left, and Nick Senzel up the middle, there was no room for Aristides Aquino.

Let's also not forget that Cincinnati signed Shogo Akiyama that same offseason. Thankfully the universal DH was adopted for the 2020 season, otherwise Aquino may not have even been part of the Reds roster in 2020.

After recording a .259/.316/.576 slash line in 225 plate appearances in 2019, Aquino has hit just .186/.300/.389 in 260 plate appearances during the 2020 and 2021 seasons combined. His 35.8% strikeout-rate in that timeframe is atrocious, but his 12.7% walk-rate has allowed The Punisher to keep his on-base percentage above .300 despite just 41 hits over the 107 games he's played.

The power is still there. That's undeniable. And Aquino plays above-average defense and has a cannon for an arm. I really think that his performance in Goodyear is critical for Aristides Aquino. If Aquino can showcase his power and lay off the breaking ball, he'll make the roster. If he can't, Aquino's time with the Reds many be over before Opening Day.

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