Cincinnati Reds: Five players fighting for a roster spot during spring training

5. Cody Reed, Left-handed pitcher

This is it for Cody Reed. After seeing fellow pitcher Sal Romano sent out of town following the addition of Pedro Strop, Reed is sure to be feeling the pressure to perform this spring. Reed is out of minor-league options and coming off a season that saw him appear in just three games. However, if Reed is fully healthy, he’ll likely be given every opportunity to win a spot in the bullpen.

Reed came to Cincinnati as part of the deal that saw Johnny Cueto join the eventual World Series Champion Kansas City Royals in 2015. Along with fellow left-handers Brandon Finnegan and John Lamb, Reed was supposed to be key part of Cincinnati’s rotation heading into the future. Here we are five years later, and Reed has done little to impress.

For his career, Cody Reed has a 5.42 ERA and a 1.596 WHIP. In his limited time on the mound last season, Reed showed what he was capable of, striking out seven batters in just 6.1 innings of work. A knee injury shelved Reed following his third appearance out of the Reds bullpen and his health will be a question mark heading into camp.

The Reds bullpen is already very crowded. With Strop, Raisel Iglesias, Michael Lorenzen and Amir Garrett locking down four spots, players like Robert Stephenson, Lucas Sims and Matt Bowman have the inside track for a place among the relief corps as well. Reed will need a solid spring to prove he can be an effective reliever.

One thing in Reed’s favor is the fact that he’s left-handed. Outside of Garrett, no one else assured of a spot in the Cincinnati bullpen is a southpaw. Reed will face competition from Josh Smith and non-roster invitees Brooks Raley and  Jesse Biddle, but otherwise, it’s his job to lose. We’ll see how the competition stacks up in just a few short days.