Cincinnati Reds see plenty of potential in new outfielder Will Benson
GOODYEAR, Ariz. – It doesn’t take long to see why the Cincinnati Reds wanted to add Will Benson to their roster whether he’s taking swings in the batting cage or running in the outfield.
Benson oozes with athleticism. He’s listed at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds and was in the 94th percentile for sprint speed during his stint in the majors last year, according to Statcast. If he didn’t sign out of high school after he was the No. 14 pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, he was committed to Duke and planned to join the basketball team as a walk-on too.
It’s easy to dream on Benson’s potential if some of those tools click and the Reds traded for him a few days before spring training started to bolster their outfield. The Reds sent outfield prospect Justin Boyd, the No. 73 pick in last year’s draft, and a player to be named to Cleveland.
“The Reds were pretty consistent with their interest in Will throughout the offseason,” said Chris Antonetti, Cleveland’s president of baseball operations. “We had a number of teams that expressed interest in Will.”
Benson, 24, took a step forward at Triple-A last year with a .279 batting average and .426 on-base percentage in 89 games while drawing nearly as many walks (75) as strikeouts (91). He significantly cut down on his strikeouts from previous seasons.
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He made his MLB debut in August, and the lefty hitter batted .182 with 19 strikeouts in 61 plate appearances as a backup outfielder. He received one at-bat in the postseason.
“He's as nice of a kid as you are ever going to find,” said Guardians Manager Terry Francona. “He got behind some people here. That doesn't mean he can't play. When we called him up last year, it wasn't fair to him. The kid just gets called up, he's trying to figure out how he fits into the league, and we're pinch-hitting him and (a defensive replacement), something a veteran would do. That was hard. That wasn't fair to him. Hopefully, he'll get a chance over there to show what he can do.”
Benson says he felt a lot of different emotions when he learned he was traded. Sad to leave the friends he made in Cleveland. Grateful for the opportunity with the Reds where he has a better chance of making the Opening Day roster.
“I still have to compete,” Benson said. “I still have to win the job. I just see something bright when I got the trade opportunity. Finally getting here, talking to (Reds General Manager) Nick (Krall), I feel, pray and hope that I can continue to help this team win and continue to build a winning franchise.”
Benson can play all three outfield positions, but the thing that carried him to the majors last season was his improved approach offensively. He was proud of the strides he made, particularly cutting down on his strikeouts in Triple-A while still hitting 17 homers and 20 doubles in 89 games.
“I'm really excited for the progress Will made last year and for the opportunity he's likely to get because there is no better human being on the planet – not just baseball player, but better person than Will,” Antonetti said. “He will have a legion of people in Cleveland that will be pulling for him. In some respect, it's a relief that we traded him to the National League so we don't see him as much as we might have in the American League.”
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Brandon Williamson to start spring training opener
Lefthanded pitching prospect Brandon Williamson was named the starting pitcher for the Reds’ Cactus League opener Saturday against Cleveland. He’s expected to pitch one to two innings in his spring debut.
The 6-foot-6 Williamson was college teammates with 6-foot-6 lefty Nick Lodolo at TCU, and they were roommates afterward in Fort Worth. Lodolo described the difference between their pitching styles as he’s more east-west while Williamson pitches more north-south.
“It's funny, we're made out to be twins, but we're really not,” said Williamson, who joined the Reds last year from the Jesse Winker/Eugenio Suárez trade. “We do things really different, but we're hoping for the same stuff. We both want to throw really good stuff in the zone and strike guys out.”
Williamson took a step backward in the minor leagues last year at Double-A and Triple-A – his walk rate spiked and his strikeout rate plummeted – but he’s firmly in the mix for one of the two vacant spots in the Reds’ starting rotation.
“I feel like last year, I was kind of overwhelmed a little bit,” Williamson said. “I came in and got through the day instead of really doing stuff. This year, I feel really locked in on what I'm trying to do and what I need to do.”
Reds add reliever Bennett Sousa to camp
The Reds claimed lefthander Bennett Sousa off waivers from the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, giving the club another lefty to compete for a spot in the bullpen.
Sousa had an 8.41 ERA in 20 1/3 innings in the Major Leagues last year with 12 strikeouts and 10 walks. Nine of the 19 earned runs he permitted came in two outings.
Vladimir Gutierrez, who is sidelined for at least the first half of the upcoming season recovering from Tommy John surgery, was placed on the 60-day injured list to make room for Sousa on the 40-man roster. Sousa will compete with nonroster invitees Daniel Norris and Alex Young to join Reiver Sanmartin as the lefties in the bullpen.
Cincinnati Reds news and notes from camp
► Shortstop Kevin Newman was out for the first three days of full-squad workouts because of food poisoning. Newman will compete with Jose Barrero for the starting shortstop spot.
“I’ve told (Newman) to focus at short and as the spring goes, if things become clear he’s going to need to have more time at another position, we’ll talk,” Reds Manager David Bell said.
► Nick Senzel (offseason toe surgery) and prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) have yet to participate in team activities. They’re both hitting in the batting cages and running through agility drills in the outfield, but they’ve been delayed for the first week of camp.
► Graham Ashcraft had an eventful live batting practice session Monday. He plunked Jake Fraley on his left big toe, the one he fractured last year, and he hit Tyler Stephenson at the bottom of his left hand by the knob of his bat. Fraley and Stephenson were OK and completed the workout.
Ashcraft, however, had his live BP session cut short after he was hit by a comebacker from TJ Friedl at the top of his right ankle.
“It was payback,” Ashcraft said with a laugh afterward. Ashcraft continued his normal throwing program without any issues Wednesday.
► The Reds re-signed pitcher Chase Anderson to a minor league contract. Anderson, who finished last season in the Reds’ rotation, will remain in minor league camp.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Will Benson looks to make impact with Reds after trade from Guardians
