Reds got Carlos Jorge's position change right and should take note

Rookie outfielder Carlos Jorge made an outstanding catch during the Cincinnati Reds' 14-1 loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night. Will Smith sent a deep fly ball into left-center field during the bottom of the first inning, but Jorge extended to make a leaping grab against the wall, and effectively robbed the Dodgers catcher of extra bases.

Jorge only has five Major League games under his belt after being called up earlier this month, but has already showed off his wheels and his defensive acumen. The 22-year-old was regarded as an above-average centerfielder in the minor leagues, and looks to be the likely platoon partner alongside Dane Myers heading into the 2027 season.

Interestingly enough, Jorge wasn't always an outfielder. He came up through the Reds farm system as a second baseman, but Cincinnati's leadership made the decision in 2023 to make center field his primary position. Jorge was playing for the Reds' High-A affiliate in Dayton at the time.

Since 2023, Jorge's logged more than 250 games and 2,000 innings in center field. The Reds' commitment to giving Jorge consistent reps in the outfield no doubt helped turn him into a quality centerfielder.

Jorge's successful position change begs the question: Why didn't the Reds take a similar approach with players like Nick Senzel or Noelvi Marte, and more recently Edwin Arroyo and Sal Stewart?

The Reds make baffling decisions with some of their top prospects

Senzel was an infielder throughout his entire minor league career, but with Eugenio Suárez firmly entrenched at third base, the Reds made the bizarre choice to move their former first-round pick to center field before the start of the 2019 season. Senzel, who was already injury-prone to begin with, suffered some major setbacks during his time on the outfield grass, and was never the same.

Cincinnati's coaches made the decision last summer to move Marte off third base and pushed him into right field. Admittedly, Marte was a terrible defender at the hot corner, but he'd never logged a single inning in the outfield. Nevertheless, the Reds continually ran him out as the everyday right fielder — even in the midst of a playoff pursuit.

This season, Cincinnati deployed Marte as their Opening Day right fielder only to see him flounder. He was sent back to Triple-A Louisville where he gained playing time in center field. After being recalled to the big leagues midway through the season, the Reds gave him a couple starts in center, only to see him fail in spectacular fashion. Marte is now back at Triple-A, and looks more and more like a bust with each passing day.

Last summer, first base was the most obvious spot for Sal Stewart to play upon his September call-up, and yet, the Reds only gave him two games at the position prior to his promotion. With Elly De La Cruz cemented at shortstop, Edwin Arroyo's best path to the majors would be by way of second base. So why did the Reds wait until this past May to start giving their top prospect meaningful reps at the keystone?

This isn't complicated, yet the Reds seem to find ways to make it that way. If the organization truly believes that finding up the middle athletes is the best way to fill out their farm system, that's fine. But once it becomes obvious that a position change is necessary, you have to make the move, and then give the player time to make the essential adjustments.

So far, it appears to have worked with Jorge, and Cincinnati has already made the decision to move shortstop prospect Tyson Lewis to third base. Maybe, just maybe, they've finally figured it out.

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