Dodgers Officially Sign Former No. 2 Overall Pick, Veteran Utility Man

Thursday, the signing became official.

Senzel, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft, split last season between the Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals, slashing .195/.283/.331.

Once a highly touted prospect, Senzel was the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Player of the Year in 2016. That summer, he was selected just after Mickey Moniak with the second pick in the draft by the Cincinnati Reds.

Despite his promising start, his career has been marred by injuries and inconsistent performance. He has shown flashes of his potential but has yet to maintain a high level of productivity over an extended period.

In four seasons with the Reds, Senzel slashed .239/.302/.368 (76 OPS+) while seeing time at six different positions as well as DH. The Reds non-tendered him after the 2023 season.

“We’ve got seven infielders still on the 40-man,” GM Nick Krall said in explaining the decision to reporters. “We looked at where Senzel was and it was a little bit of, ‘How does all this work?’ ”

Senzel hit a career-high 13 home runs in 2023 but watched his playing time shrink as the Reds promoted a new wave of prospects.

“His career was derailed by injuries, which has sucked,” Krall said in Nov. 2023. “He got bounced around and it’s a tough situation, but he handled it well and did a good job. At this point, where we are is a bench role, and it didn’t make much sense.”

Senzel didn't make much of his second and third chances. He was released by the Nationals last July with a .663 OPS. After signing with the White Sox — who lost a modern-era record 121 games, Senzel fared even worse at the plate (.100/.129/.133 in 10 games).

Now he'll look to make the most of his fourth chance with an MLB organization after being released from his contract in the Mexican League. Senzel, who turns 30 in June, was slashing .591/.654/1.136 with the independent Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos.

Now, Senzel will have an opportunity to showcase his versatility on defense while proving his batting gains were no fluke with an affiliated minor league team.