Reds invite Senzel, Trammell to spring camp

The future of the Reds will be on full display in Goodyear, Arizona beginning next month.
The Reds extended non-roster invitations to Major League Spring Training camp to their top two prospects, Nick Senzel and Taylor Trammell. They are the biggest names among the 18 listed invitees, as announced by the club Wednesday, with eight of the 18 listed among MLB.com's top 30 prospects in the organization.

Tweet from @Reds: The #Reds have invited the following non-roster players to Major League spring training: pic.twitter.com/Uv6E57yleG
Senzel, MLB.com's No. 6 overall prospect, is headed to his second Major League camp after getting an invitation last year. The 2016 second overall pick seemed likely to make his Major League debut in 2018 but missed much of the season due to vertigo and surgery to fix a fractured right index finger. Senzel managed to play only 44 games with Triple-A Louisville but showed his potential by hitting .310/.378/.509 with six homers and eight steals. The 23-year-old was drafted as a third baseman but made most of his starts at second base last season and even made one at shortstop. He's also spent time in the outfield during instructional league play and could get some opportunities there in the Cactus League.
Senzel is projected as a plus hitter with above-average power and speed when he reaches the Majors for good. The Reds' decision to move him around the infield speaks more to his defensive versatility than to any potential issues with his original position at third; Senzel is considered a plus defender with both the glove and arm. Barring a special spring, he'll likely return to the International League to begin the season.
Trammell -- the game's No. 17 overall prospect per MLB.com -- is a pure outfielder headed to his first Major League camp. The 21-year-old hit .277/.375/.406 with eight home runs and 25 stolen bases over 110 games in 2018 and was named a Florida State League mid-season All-Star with Class A Advanced Daytona. He also stood out in the Arizona Fall League, where he was named a Fall Star while hitting 298/.359/.393 with six steals in 22 games with Scottsdale. The 2016 35th overall pick's season was highlighted by his MVP performance at the All-Star Futures Game, where he homered and tripled in 10-6 U.S. win. His 438-foot blast was the longest home run of the day at Nationals Park.
Trammell has plus-plus speed that helps both on the basepaths and in center field and projects as an above-average hitter at maturity. He'll likely open 2019 at Double-A Chattanooga.
Among the other ranked Reds prospects to receive Spring Training invites Wednesday are No. 5 Tony Santillan, No. 6 Tyler Stephenson, No. 8 Vladimir Gutierrez, No. 14 TJ Friedl, No. 20 Alfredo Rodriguez and No. 24 Chris Okey.
The first workout for Cincinnati pitchers and catchers is slated for Feb. 13 with full-squad workouts beginning five days later. The Reds open Cactus League play on Feb. 23 with a home game against the Indians.