According to Cincinnati Enquirer’s Gordon Wittenmyer, the Reds will not tender Nick Senzel. The former No. 2 overall selection gave the organization a parting message on Instagram.

The Tennessee native was chosen by Cincinnati with the second overall choice in the 2016 draft. Before making his 2019 debut, the right-handed hitter was widely regarded as a high prospect and put up impressive minor league stats. However, Senzel was never able to consistently outperform big league pitchers. He had a batting line of.239/.302/.369 across portions of five seasons.

Senzel was the starting center fielder for the Reds during the 2022 season. Cincinnati believed that by returning to third base, where he was born, he would be able to reach new heights offensively. Senzel hit well in the beginning of the year, especially against left-handed pitchers, but in June he went through a slump. Throughout 330 MLB plate appearances, he concluded the season with a.236/.297/.399 line and 13 home runs.

In the second half, Senzel was briefly moved back to Triple-A by the Reds. Despite always appearing like a possible non-tender, he ended the year in the majors. Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Noelvi Marte are among the youthful, skilled infield options available to the Reds, who see a lot of action on the left side. Senzel, who MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz estimated would earn $3 million if he were to tender a deal, didn’t have much room in this.

A player who signs a non-tender is released from waivers and enters free agency immediately. The 28-year-old is now free to investigate possibilities with different teams. Senzel should be able to secure a major league deal somewhere thanks to his career.286/.334/.459 line with the platoon advantage and his profile as a former top prospect. The teams that stick out as potential possibilities to take a chance on a third baseman are the Nationals, A’s, Royals, Diamondbacks, and Tigers.