Sampson is likely to begin the season in a bullpen role, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Twelve of Sampson's 13 appearances last season came as a starter, but it looks as though the Reds will transition him into a bullpen role after he posted a 6.54 ERA and 1.78 WHIP across 52.1 innings in 2015. Sampson likely isn't locked in as a reliever for the entire season, but the Reds have a handful of other arms battling for rotation spots, so he'd likely have a difficult time working his way into the mix and finding consistent starts.