Cincinnati Reds: Five players most likely to snag 26th spot on the roster

4. Matt Davidson, Infielder

Much like Mark Payton, infielder Matt Davidson did not play a single inning in the majors last season. However, he showcased a tremendous amount of power at the plate, smashing 33 home runs for Triple-A Nashville of the Pacific Coast League. Like Alex Blandino, Eugenio Suárez’s injury may dictate Davidson’s standing on the Reds roster.

Davidson, a former first-round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2009, has seen some measure of success at the major league level. Davidson certainly has power, as seen with his career .435 slugging percentage. However, his lack of contact can be problematic. His strikeout-rate, according to FanGraphs, is 34.5%.

Davidson profiles as a boom or bust type of major leaguer, which isn’t all bad for that 26th spot on the roster. While the additions of Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas certainly provide the Reds with a boost in the power department, a team can never enough talented hitters capable of changing the game with one swing of the bat.

Matt Davidson also has some familiarity with first base. Throughout his career, Davidson has seen 59 starts at first base, starting 41 games there for the Chicago White Sox back in 2018. The Reds have little to no depth to speak of behind Joey Votto, with Josh VanMeter being the most likely player to give the six-time All-Star a day off.