LAS VEGAS – Meeting players for the first time at Redsfest a little more than a week ago, Reds manager David Bell said it’s still too early to determine which players will compete for spots in the rotation or the bullpen, or how the lineup could shake out.

After Bell finished building his coaching staff, his focus shifted to reaching out to players and talking with coaches to make plans for next season.

One player he can envision using in a variety of roles is right-handed pitcher Michael Lorenzen, who pitched well out of the bullpen and made three starts at the end of the season. He had a 3.11 ERA in 45 appearances last year.

“I don't know him as well as everyone else in the organization, but I would have no hesitation to putting him in any role, any position,” Bell said. “He's so competitive. He takes such great care of himself. He's going to do well in this game for a long time and it’ll be important for us to find at the best way to use him, the best way to maximize who he is.”

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Bell said he is open to using Lorenzen in the outfield, in a very limited role, for additional flexibility off the bench.

Using Lorenzen in the outfield for brief stints could be a factor in keeping an extra pitcher on the 25-man roster. Lorenzen was a two-way player in college and played one inning in right field last season. At the plate, he had nine hits in 31 at-bats with four home runs and 10 RBI.

“To have an athlete like that, that at the very least can have good at-bats and handle the bat and not be an out, I think it's an example and kind of an inspiration for all of our pitchers,” Bell said. “We'll find a way to allow him to contribute in that way.”

Bell, who spoke to players on the phone after he was hired, said the Reds have not determined which role Homer Bailey will fill next season.

Bailey had a 1-14 record and 6.09 ERA in 20 starts last season. Do the Reds want him to compete for a spot in the bullpen?

“It’s so early. I know this isn’t early for people that have been in Cincinnati, but for us and our staff, (we're) trying to develop that relationship with (Bailey) and see where he fits in with everything else we’re doing,” Bell said. “He’s a good pitcher. To try to put him in a position that can help us succeed, but at the same time, find something that’s comfortable for him and something that he welcomes and sees as a challenge.”

SENZEL WILL CONTRIBUTE: When Bell walked past Nick Senzel at Redsfest, Senzel mentioned that he was preparing to play center field.

Bell likes Senzel’s confidence and he believes that Senzel will have a role with the Reds wherever the organization’s top prospect is playing on the field. Senzel started playing in the outfield during the instructional league, working with Eric Davis at the team’s Spring Training complex in Goodyear, Arizona.

“I think he’s capable of doing whatever we do, but it’s our job to put him in a good position, especially with breaking into the Major Leagues,” Bell said of Senzel. “He’s going to contribute. He’s going to contribute a lot."

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Senzel, ranked as the No. 6 prospect in baseball by MLB.com, hit .310 with six homers and 25 RBI in 44 games at Triple-A Louisville last season. His season ended at the end of June when he suffered a season-ending finger injury.

The Reds don’t have a natural center fielder after they chose not to tender a contract to Billy Hamilton, but Bell said he’s confident in the team’s internal options: Senzel, Scott Schebler and Phillip Ervin. The club could add another center fielder through free agency or a trade.

Whichever position Senzel plays – and it could be multiple positions – Bell is hopeful that he will earn an everyday role.

“He’s going to be with us and he’s going to play a lot,” Bell said. “He may play multiple positions. He may settle in at one position – eventually, he will do that. We see in today’s game, to have that versatility, to be able to play multiple positions, you can end up getting a guy regular at-bats, regular playing time just at multiple places.”

REDS ADD A PITCHER: The Reds claimed left-handed reliever Robby Scott off waivers Monday from the Boston Red Sox. Scott pitched in nine games last season, mostly as a September call-up, allowing six runs in 6 2/3 innings.

The 29-year-old Scott made 57 appearances during the 2017 season and had a 3.79 ERA. He’s held left-handed batters to a .149 batting average in his career.

SCOOTER GENNETT TRADE TALKS? The Reds are not in current discussions to sign second baseman Scooter Gennett to a long-term contract, and they are not actively shopping him on the trade market, according to a source.

Gennett is expected to make around $11 million next year through arbitration and will be eligible for free agency following the 2019 season. With several free agent options at second base, there likely wouldn’t be much of a trade market anyway.