6 former Reds players looking to exact revenge will face Cincinnati on Opening Day

Given the roster turnover the Cincinnati Reds have experienced since 2022, it's not surprising to note that many former players can be found on a number of different teams throughout Major League Baseball.

Joey Votto is now in Toronto playing for his hometown Blue Jays, Eugenio Suárez is suiting up for the reigning National League champions after being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Reds will see plenty of Sonny Gray since the right-hander signed a three-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.

In 2022, it was the Seattle Mariners' squad that was populated with ex-Reds. The presence of Gray, Tyler Mahle, Kyle Farmer, and Donovan Solano had Reds fans watching the Minnesota Twins in 2023. But heading into the 2024 season, six former Reds players are on the Washington Nationals Opening Day roster. It just so happens that the Reds and Nats square off on Thursday to open the 2024 campaign.

Ex-Reds Nick Senzel & Jesse Winker will be in the Nationals lineup

Former first-round pick Nick Senzel will be the Nats starting third baseman when Washington comes to town on Thursday. The Reds non-tendered Senzel during the offseason, and he quickly found a home in our nation's capital. Senzel signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Nationals.

After years of playing on the outfield grass, the Nationals are ready to deploy Senzel at his natural position. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft is expected to play third base for Washington this season.

Senzel will be joined by another former first-round draft pick in Jesse Winker. After a horrific season with the Mariners in 2022, Winker was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023. The left-handed hitting slugger will be looking to put his injury-plagued 2023 campaign behind him while acting as the Nats' DH in 2024.

Former Reds prospect Josiah Gray will be the Nats' Opening Day starter

Add Josiah Gray to the list of former Cincinnati players to be on Washington's Opening Day roster. Though he never played for the Reds in the big leagues, Gray was part of mega-deal in December of 2018. Gray, along with former prospect Jeter Downs and Homer Bailey, was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Farmer, Yasiel Puig, Alex Young, and Matt Kemp.

Gray has ascended to the top of the Nats rotation and will be Dave Martinez's starter on Thursday. If the Nats' skipper turns to the bullpen, former Reds relievers Dylan Floro, Derek Law, and Tanner Rainey will be at his disposal.

The Nationals are expected to occupy the bottom of the NL East in 2024, but as Reds fans saw in 2023, looks can be deceiving. While most of the former Reds are looking to revive their career in DC, Cincinnati cannot overlook Senzel, Winker, and the rest of the former players who'll be looking to exact some revenge against the team that cast them aside.

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