3 Reds players who could use a change of scenery in 2023

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Mike Moustakas.
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Mike Moustakas. / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
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Sometimes, all you need is a change of scenery. There are a few players on the Cincinnati Reds roster who fit that bill, and whether is happens via trade or outright release, it may be time for the Reds and these players to part company during the offseason.

We've seen this before. Most recently the Reds traded struggling pitcher and former first-round pick Robert Stephenson to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Jeff Hoffman. The right-hander seems to have found a home in the Cincinnati bullpen after being maligned throughout most his career in the Mile High City.

There are other examples to be sure, and players like Cody Bellinger, Marcell Ozuna, and Miguel Sanó may be looking to hit the reset button this offseason. Which three Cincinnati Reds players could benefit from a change of scenery?

1. Reds CF Nick Senzel could use a change of scenery in 2023.

Poor Nick Senzel just can't seem to catch a break. The former first-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds has been dogged by injuries throughout his entire professional career. If there's any one player on the Reds roster that could use a fresh start, it's Senzel.

Let's face it, Senzel's future in the Reds organization is virtually nonexistent. After playing in a career-high 110 game last season, Senzel was still unable to tap into that potential that made him a first round pick back in 2016.

The Reds now have young players like Spencer Steer, TJ Friedl, Alejo Lopez, and Stuart Fairchild who are looking to secure more playing time in 2023. There's also young prospects like Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz who will looking to break into the bigs next season as well. There's just not enough playing time to go around.

Whether you want to blame it on injuries, changing positions, or something else, the bottom line is that Senzel hasn't lived up to the hype. In fact, he's not even been anywhere close. It's painfully obvious that it's time for the Cincinnati Reds and Nick Senzel to part ways.

2. Reds 3B Mike Moustakas could use a change of scenery in 2023.

What a flop this has been, huh? Signing Mike Moustakas to a four-year/$64M contract will go down as one of the worst free agent signings in franchise history. Heck, it's not a stretch to suggest that it's one of worst free agent signings in the history of Major League Baseball.

Just like Nick Senzel, injuries have played a key role in Moustakas' lack of production since coming to Cincinnati. The three-time All-Star found his way onto the Injured List six different times during the 2022 season. Moose has yet to play more than 80 games since signing with the Reds prior to the 2020 season.

Just as is the case with Senzel, there's just too many good, young players coming up through the Reds farm system to have their playing time reduced because of Moustakas' presence on the roster. The biggest road block with Moustakas, that's not the case with Senzel, is the gargantuan payday the veteran is set to collect in 2023.

Moose's salary next season is $18M and his contract carries a $4M buyout for the 2024 season; like was mentioned, it's one of the worst in Major League Baseball history. Very few teams would be willing to stomach taking on such a contract for a player that's hit just .216 over the past three seasons.

Maybe the Cincinnati Reds and Mike Moustakas will just part ways after the World Series. That's the approach the Chicago Cubs have chosen to take with outfielder Jason Heyward. The Reds released Shogo Akiyama last spring and ate his $8M contract, but there's a lot more zeroes in Moose's deal. Will Bob Castellini really write Moustakas a $22M check to play elsewhere in 2023?

3. Reds SS Jose Barrero could use a change of scenery in 2023.

Parting ways with Jose Barrero seems incredibly unlikely because of the infielder's low salary and the fact that he has minor league options remaining, but after receiving two full months of regular playing time, the excuses may be running out for the shortstop.

Mike Moustakas posted a -1.0 bWAR last season. Barrero's bWAR is -1.5 in about half the number of games played. That's how badly the 24-year-old played last season while occupying the role of everyday shortstop from August through the end of the season.

Barrero hit just .152 and struck out 76 times. Just to put it in perspective, that's the same number of strikeouts as Nick Senzel (who played in 110 games) and one more than Moustakas (who played in 78 games). Barrero's 76 punch outs is more than TJ Friedl and Stuart Fairchild combined (69).

It's bizarre to see such a fall from grace. Jose Barrero was the Cincinnati Reds' Minor League Player of the Year in 2021 and had been lauded as the shortstop of future. But after suffering a hamate injury during the offseason and missing the first two months of 2022, Barrero looked like a shell of himself at Triple-A and things didn't get any better after jumping to majors.

Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain are knocking on the door and Jose Barrero knows it. It's quite possible that one or both leapfrog the Cuban during spring training and take Barrero's spot on the Opening Day roster.

It seems crazy to think that Cincinnati would actually move on from Barrero after seeing such promise in the young infielder. It's more likely that Barrero starts the 2023 season in the minors, as trading him at this time would be selling extremely low on one of the team's most highly-touted prospects.

Next. Predicting the Reds 2022-23 offseason roster. dark

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