Agent: Senzel's demotion 'egregious case of service-time manipulation'

Top prospect Nick Senzel will not break camp with the Cincinnati Reds, and his agent, Joe Wolfe, is not happy about it.

"(I)t feels like a simply egregious case of service-time manipulation," Wolfe told Jeff Passan of ESPN.

The Reds re-assigned nine players to minor-league camp on Friday, with Senzel among them.

Wolfe added that the decision doesn't seem to align with the game plan being promoted by the club entering the 2019 season.

"We are well aware of the mandate from ownership for the Reds to win this year - and this seems to fly in the face of it," Wolfe said. "The NL Central was decided by one game last year. Every game matters. This is a shortsighted move that may be frugal now but could cost them dearly later."

Meanwhile, Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said the decision was not based on service time, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.

During spring training, Senzel was moved from his customary third base position to second base and eventually to the outfield based on Cincinnati's crowded infield. And instead of bringing along MLB's sixth-ranked prospect to Opening Day, the Reds will likely carry an outfield of Jesse Winker, Scott Schebler, and Yasiel Puig, with Matt Kemp and Derek Dietrich available off the bench.

In 12 spring training games, Senzel went 12-for-39 (.308 AVG) with six doubles and four stolen bases.