Carlos Jorge gave the Reds a reminder Wednesday night that a smart position change can pay off fast.
In Cincinnati’s 14-1 loss to the Dodgers, the rookie outfielder tracked down a deep Will Smith drive in the bottom of the first inning and turned it into a highlight. Jorge ranged into left-center, climbed the wall, and made a leaping catch that took extra bases away from Smith.
It was the kind of play that fits what the Reds have seen from Jorge since calling him up earlier this month. He has only five major league games on his resume, but he’s already flashed both speed and defense. In the minors, he was viewed as an above-average center fielder, and he looks like a likely platoon option alongside Dane Myers heading into the 2027 season.
What makes Jorge stand out is that he didn’t start his career in the outfield at all. He came through the Reds system as a second baseman, then Cincinnati made the call in 2023 to shift him to center field while he was with High-A Dayton.
Since then, he has logged more than 250 games and 2,000 innings in center. That steady run of reps appears to have done exactly what the organization wanted it to do.
And that’s where the larger question comes in: why haven’t the Reds handled other top prospects the same way?
The club’s track record on these moves has been uneven, at best. Nick Senzel was an infielder his entire minor league career, but with Eugenio Suárez locked in at third base, Cincinnati made the strange decision to move him to center field before the 2019 season. Senzel was already injury-prone, and the move only added more trouble during his time on the grass.
Noelvi Marte’s path was just as messy. The Reds moved him off third base last summer and pushed him into right field, even though he had never played an inning there before.
He was still run out there regularly, including during a playoff chase. This year, he opened the season as Cincinnati’s right fielder, struggled, was sent to Triple-A Louisville, and got work in center field there.
When he returned to the majors, the Reds tried him in center again, and that went poorly too. He’s now back at Triple-A, with the article describing him as looking more and more like a bust.
The same hesitation showed up with Sal Stewart and Edwin Arroyo. Last summer, first base seemed like the obvious landing spot for Stewart when he was called up in September, but the Reds gave him only two games there before the promotion. And with Elly De La Cruz established at shortstop, Arroyo’s clearest route to the majors was at second base, yet Cincinnati didn’t begin giving him meaningful work there until this past May.
The broader point is simple: when a position switch is clearly needed, the Reds need to commit to it and give the player time to adjust. With Jorge, that process has worked. The organization has also already moved shortstop prospect Tyson Lewis to third base.
Maybe, just maybe, they’ve finally started to get it right.
In Other News...
Reds Fans Have Every Right To Be Furious Over Sal Stewart Debate
The National League Rookie of the Year conversation has narrowed in a way that should have Reds fans paying close attention, because Sal Stewart has put himself right in the middle of it. His case is built on the kind of offensive production Cincinnati has been looking for all year, especially the ability to drive in runs even when the lineup around him has not always set the table. That has made Stewart one of the most intriguing names in the race, and it has also made the debate feel bigger than just one award.
Nolan McLean has emerged as the other major challenger, and the contrast is part of what makes this such a frustrating discussion for Cincinnati followers. Stewart is being weighed against a pitcher with strong numbers, while JJ Wetherholts injury has altered the shape of the race and taken another name out of the mix. For Reds fans, the annoyance is easy to understand: Stewart has given them plenty to point to, but the conversation still feels like it may come down to how voters value what he did against what McLean brought to the mound. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Prospect Faces A Brutal Reality After Yet Another Setback
The Reds farm system has had plenty to track this September, even if the first step in the postseason has not gone the way either affiliate wanted. Daytona and Dayton both opened their league championship series with losses, which puts immediate pressure on each club as the playoffs move deeper into the week. For Cincinnati, the bigger picture still includes several prospects whose seasons have carried real meaning, from Daytonas lineup to the hitters trying to find footing at higher levels.
Ichiro Cano has been one of the more encouraging names in that group, putting together a strong year with Daytona while batting .297 with seven home runs. Ruben Ibarra also turned in a notable season by setting a career high with 22 homers for Chattanooga, while former first-round pick Austin Hendrick continues to search for traction after dropping from Triple-A to Double-A. With the affiliates fighting to extend their seasons, there is still plenty of interest in how those player arcs finish out, even if the road has already gotten a little steeper. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Front Office Debate Just Got More Uncomfortable
Baseball Prospectus did not exactly flatter the Reds when it slotted their front office 26th in Major League Baseball, dropping the club into a sixth-tier label that can only be described as a bad time. The assessment lands with a particular sting because Cincinnati has shown a real knack for developing pitching, even if the broader body of work has settled into a familiar sort of mediocrity under Nick Krall.
Since 2021, the Reds have gone 456-500, a record that says plenty about the middle ground they have occupied while trying to build something more durable. Front office rankings are never simple, especially when ownership spending limits and trade vetoes can shape the outcome as much as the baseball operations department itself, but the verdict here does not feel hard to defend. [Read more 🡒]