Pensacola Blue Wahoos Next Star with the Reds?

Pensacola, Fla.- The next player's oversized photo smiling over Pensacola Bayfront Stadium's main entrance? It just might be Michael Lorenzen.

The surprise non-roster invitee remains the only player who spent the entire 2014 season with the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos with a shot to make the Cincinnati Reds team out of Spring Training.

Even more amazing? The 23-year-old righty was drafted by the Reds in 2013 - just two season ago - out of Cal State Fullerton where he mainly played outfield but also saved 19 of 22 relief appearances.

Even after walking six hitters in two innings against the San Francisco Giants on Friday, March 20, Reds manager Bryan Price was still high on his young pitcher, whose fastball touches the high-90s, for a bullpen or starting rotation spot.

"I don't want to sit here and comment that he's definitely going to the minor leagues, because he's pitching his tail off," Price told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "That's an organizational decision we'll have to make."

And Lorenzen? He's just happy to have a start Thursday, March 26, against the Cleveland Indians and a chance to break camp with Cincinnati this season.

"My goal is to help the Reds - no matter how they want it, how they use me," he said in the Enquirer. "My goal coming in was to do everything in my control to be ready to compete. This is school for me. I'm trying to learn as much as possible so I can take it into the season, just like I did last year."

Lorenzen is one of five former Wahoos still on the Reds' roster, which currently stands at 37 and will be reduced to 25 for the season that begins in two weeks.

Lorenzen is joined by four 40-man roster members, including catcher Devin Mesoraco, who opened last season with Pensacola. Still competing for a Reds' job is pitcher Pedro Villarreal. Also likely to make the Reds this season are lefty Tony Cingrani along with centerfielder and Rookie-of-the-Year finalist Billy Hamilton, whose very large pictures currently grace the front of the Wahoo's ballpark along with fellow 2012 Wahoos' teammate - New York Yankees' shortstop Didi Gregorious.

Of those players, Cingrani, Hamilton and Mesoraco definitely will make the Reds in 2015.

Several other former Wahoos dropped from the parent club with two weeks to go before Opening Day are:

First baseman Donald Lutz and catcher Tucker Barnhart were sent to Triple-A Louisville Bats on Monday, March 23.

Outfielder and first baseman Kyle Waldrop, who was optioned to Louisville on March 21. The lefty looked impressive, hitting .273 with one homer and five RBIs in his 12 games.

Also sent to Louisville were pitchers Ryan Dennick, Daniel Corcino and Carlos Contreras on March 16. Meanwhile, right-handed pitcher Jon Moscot, who also earned Price's praise during Spring Training, was re-assigned to the minor league camp.

The Reds' first cuts March 10 included three former Wahoos players ranked as top 10 prospects in the club's system by Baseball America, including right-handed pitcher Robert Stephenson (1), outfielder Jesse Winker (3), and outfielder Yorman Rodriguez (10), who was optioned to Louisville. None were expected to challenge for a roster spot this spring.

Rodriguez played in five games for the Reds, while Winker appeared in four games.

Juan Duran, optioned to Pensacola where he hit a record 17 homers last season, appeared in three games and hit a walk-off home run in a split-squad victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Outfielder Ryan LaMarre, who played for the Wahoos in 2013, was sent down, too.

--www.bluewahoos.com--