Sanmartin is one of the candidates for the Reds' three open rotation spots to begin the season, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Sanmartin enjoyed a breakout of sorts last season, culminating in two starts at the end of the season with the big club. Working against him is that he doesn't throw all that hard, averaging 89.4 mph with his fastball, but he is very deceptive and has good offspeed pitches. The Reds view him as a pitcher that can both start or relieve. "Sanmartin gives us great flexibility because he can be a starter," manager David Bell said. "He could potentially also be a reliever. We don't have a lot of left-handed options in the bullpen. It's nice to have the ability to do either, depending on how everything else shakes out."