3 Reds prospects who will be called up by the All-Star break and who they'll replace

The Cincinnati Reds have some top-notch prospects who are readying to make their major league debut later this season. For many, it's not a matter of if they'll debut in 2023, but when.

The Reds, who are in the midst of rebuild, will be heavily relying on some of the organization's top young talent to help them return to the top of the National League Central Division in the coming years. The last time Cincinnati won the division was over 10 years ago.

But, in order for some of the top Reds prospects to make their big league debut, someone on the current roster is going to have to scooch over. Which three Cincinnati Reds prospects will make their debut before the All-Star break, and who might they replace?

1. Reds prospect Brandon Williamson will replace Luis Cessa.

Whether Luis Cessa makes it much past his last start is irrelevant. The right-hander is not long for the rotation, and by the All-Star break, if not well before, Brandon Williamson will replace Cessa on the Cincinnati Reds roster.

Don't look for the Reds to just DFA Cessa, but rather move the right-hander to the bullpen. In fact, if he gains some traction as a reliever, the Reds may be able to flip Cessa at the deadline for a couple of low-level prospects.

But Williamson should undoubtedly be in the Reds starting rotation before the All-Star break. The Reds swung a trade last spring with the Seattle Mariners to acquire Williamson along with Connor Phillips, Jake Fraley, and Justin Dunn in exchange for Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez.

The Cincinnati Reds already have the makings of a solid rotation with the trio of second-year pitchers in Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Graham Ashcraft. While many Reds fans have been clamoring for Andrew Abbott of late, the left-hander needs some more seasoning in the the minors. Williamson, however, has little left to prove at Triple-A.

2. Reds prospect Elly De La Cruz will replace Nick Senzel.

The time has come for Elly De La Cruz to make his major league debut. Slowed by an injury during spring training, De La Cruz has just begun his 2023 campaign with the Louisville Bats. Once he shakes off the rust, it's only a matter of time before De La Cruz makes his way to the bigs.

De La Cruz is the most exciting young player in the Cincinnati farm system. The 21-year-old has five-tool talent that includes huge pop fron both sides of the plate, game-changing speed, and a cannon for a right arm.

Elly De La Cruz has Reds fans dreaming for what might be. The only hangup in De La Cruz's game to this point has been his 30-plus percent strikeout-rate. The sooner De La Cruz gets that number down to say 23-percent, the sooner he'll be in The Show.

Now, who will De La Cruz replace? That's a great question. I'm banking on the fact that we won't see De La Cruz until closer to mid-June or early-July. With that in mind, look for Nick Senzel to be sacrificial lamb once De La Cruz makes his debut.

Does this mean De La Cruz will be playing center field? No, not necessarily, though there's certainly merit to the idea. While Senzel is a former first-round pick, he's been given so many chance to find success at the major league-level and has never capitalized on them.

Nick Senzel has gotten off to a poor start once again. By the time De La Cruz is ready for the major leagues, Senzel may have run out of chances. The Cincinnati Reds maintain the ability to option Senzel to the minors, but they may decide to cut bait with the former No. 2 overall pick and designate him for assignment.