Cincinnati Reds keep Patrick Kivlehan in Cincinnati utilizing a roster spot for a high average pinch hitter

The Cincinnati Reds could not justify letting Patrick Kivlehan return to Louisville at the end of spring training.

The Cincinnati Reds rebuilt the bench following the trade of Brandon Phillips to the Atlanta Braves.  That did a couple of things.  It meant that their super bench player, Jose Peraza, was going to be in the starting line-up.

More importantly for a player like former Seattle Mariner top prospect Patrick Kivlehan, it meant that the Reds needed to find a true back-up center fielder.  With Peraza starting at second base there was no longer a true center fielder on the bench.  That gave Arismendy Alcantara his job and then Kivlehan in some ways his job as well.  They were both part of a concerted effort by the Reds to increase the athleticism on their roster.

When the Reds added Desmond Jennings to be the center fielder, it looked like Alcantara was destined for Louisville.  That meant that they needed their back-up second baseman to also have some power off of the bench.  In response the Reds signed Ryan Raburn before Scooter Gennett became available.

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For a short period that meant Alcantara went from nearly being assured of a spot on the roster to fighting with Kivlehan and everyone else in camp for the last bench spot.  Coming into camp, Jesse Winker had the best shot at grabbing the spot.  He is an on-base machine and the Reds want to know if he can play everyday at the MLB level.

With Desmond Jennings and Ryan Raburn gone, the Cincinnati Reds couldn’t find a reason for Patrick Kivlehan to leave.

Aside from the rebuilt needs for the bench, Kivlehan had another obstacle to overcome.

He wasn’t on the forty man roster.  The Reds had two spots for Jennings and Raburn, and Kivlehan grabbed one of those.

Early in spring training the Reds waived Jumbo Diaz to make room for Christian Walker.  They also had to find a roster spot for Nefi Ogando early in camp.  Every time they clear a roster spot, they risk losing someone they want to keep.  In the end Kivlehan took Walker’s roster spot and the Reds couldn’t be happier.

They could choose at anytime to let Stephen Turner go back to the Minnesota Twins, but that would leave them with only 2 catchers on their forty man and active roster.  That is the crux of the matter.  Kivlehan has shown that he is worthy that sort of roster adjustment batting .345 with an OBP of .424, but must continue to do wo when Homer Bailey and Anthony DeSclafani return to health.

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The good news is that Kivlehan is working out just fine.  If the Reds trade someone out of their starting line-up or someone goes on the DL, an opportunity will be open.  Kivlehan just has to keep being as consistent off of the bench as he has been so far to claim that chance.