3. The Reds need to option Will Benson and recall Nick Senzel.
Will Benson has proven two things since his arrival in Cincinnati. First, he's extremely athletic. Second, he needs more seasoning in the minor leagues. Benson is hitting .056 with a strikeout-rate of 52.6-percent. That's a staggering number.
Now, it's obviously early and these stats can look worse than they really are with such a small sample size. But Benson has just looked overmatched at the dish. The 24-year-old could probably use another few months in the minors with some focused attention on pitch recognition.
Nick Senzel, on the other hand, has looked very good during his rehab stint with the Louisville Bats. Senzel is 6-for-22 with a pair of doubles and a home run. He's currently hitting .273/.407/.500 and has seen time at third base, center field, and, wait for it, left field.
The Cincinnati Reds are focused on turning Senzel into a super utility player. If the 27-year-old can stay healthy, and that's always a big if, then David Bell could deploy the former first-round pick at multiple positions.
Will Benson, not Stuart Fairchild, needs to be the first casualty from the group of position players this season. Yes, the Reds would be losing a left-handed bat. But what good is it if Benson is striking out once every two at-bats?