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

This year, there will be an extra spot added to the Opening Day roster. Which five Cincinnati Reds players are most likely to snag that coveted spot?

The 2020 season will offer a new opportunity for several players throughout Major League Baseball. The league has expanded the active roster from 25 to 26 with a likely cap on only 13 pitchers. The Cincinnati Reds have an excessive amount of talented players on this year’s roster. So, who’s most likely to snag that extra roster spot?

According to MLB.com, the number of pitchers limited to the 26-man roster has yet to be determined, but it is assumed that the number of hurlers will be capped at 13. Since David Bell and his staff carried 13 pitchers on the roster during the majority of last season, that 26th spot will likely fall to a position player.

With the additions of Shogo Akiyama, Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas, that will be welcome news to several players on the Reds roster. Those three are expected to be major factors in the Cincinnati lineup, so that additional spot gives a few players a chance to maintain a roster spot, albeit in a different capacity.

How will Bell and the coaches use that extra spot? Having Michael Lorenzen on the roster, a player capable of pitching and playing in the outfield, will certainly give Bell options. That final spot could be no more than a power-hitter used exclusively in pinch-hit situations, or perhaps the Reds skipper would prefer to use that spot for an elite defender.

The only restriction to the 26th spot is that said player must be part of the 40-man roster. No real surprise there, but should a non-roster invitee snag that final spot, a corresponding move would be required. So, which five players might the Reds consider for the 26th spot on the 2020 roster?

1. Mark Payton, Outfielder

The Reds made just one selection in the 2019 Rule 5 Draft. Outfielder Mark Payton, formerly of the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics was taken by Cincinnati on the final day of the 2019 Winter Meetings. Though he didn’t play a lick at the major league level in 2019, Payton has power and the ability to play all three outfield positions.

The former Texas Longhorn will have some stiff competition in the Reds outfield. In addition to Nick Castellanos and Shogo Akiyama, Cincinnati still has holdovers such as Nick Senzel, Aristides Aquino, Jesse Winker and Phillip Ervin on the 40-man roster. Scott Schebler is still hanging around as well, but his roster spot seems very precarious.

Being a Rule 5 Draft pick works both for an against Payton. The Reds are unable to option Payton to the minors should he not make the cut, meaning the club is likely to give the 28-year-old a long look. Unfortunately, that look will only last until cut down day, meaning Cincinnati may have to decide between Payton and Ervin, who’s out of minor-league options.

A solid spring will be necessary for Payton to make the Reds 26-man roster out of camp. Unless Senzel is not yet healthy, it would seem like an uphill climb for the former Oakland A’s farmhand. However, Cincinnati still the ability to option both Winker and Aquino down to Triple-A, a tool that may be necessary depending on how the spring plays out.

2. Travis Jankowski, Outfielder

Travis Jankowski was acquired in a little-known trade with the San Diego Padres earlier this offseason. Initially, the thought was that Jankowski would give the Reds an outfielder capable of taking over duties in center field in the event that Nick Senzel was unable to start the season on the active roster. A few offseason acquisitions changes that thinking a little bit.

Jankowski surely didn’t like the Reds acquisition of Shogo Akiyama, a player who profiles similar and was given a three-year/$21M deal. Jankowski and Akiyama both have the capability to play all over the outfield, but Akiyama’s offensive profile is much stronger than Jankowski’s, who looks to be more of a defense-first outfielder.

The one area where Jankowski could excel is on the base paths. Given the Reds current roster, Cincinnati has very players that would be considered burners. In fact, with José Peraza in Boston and Billy Hamilton now in San Francisco, Senzel may the fastest player on the team. Could the Reds use Jankowski exclusively as a defensive replacement and pinch runner?

That may seem odd, but given the way the roster sets up, having a player occupy that 26th spot who has a specific job may be the route that David Bell takes. Jankowski hit just .182 last season. However, according to FanGraphs, Jankowski has 15 defensive runs saved, something that can’t be ignored given the lack of defense likely to be patrolling the Reds outfield in 2020.

3. Alex Blandino, Infielder

Alex Blandino has minor-league options remaining, so his inclusion on the 26-man roster is a bit more flexible than Mark Payton or Travis Jankowski, both of whom are out of options. However, with the injury to Eugenio Suárez and the lack of depth at shortstop behind Freddy Galvis, Blandino’s inclusion on the roster may be quite necessary when the season begins.

Without a solid backup at shortstop, Kyle Farmer may be the first player off the Reds bench should Galvis get hurt or need a day off. While Farmer spent his entire career playing up the middle of the infield during his college days at Georgia, the 29-year-old has only played one inning there since becoming a professional.

Enter Alex Blandino, who played 11 games at shortstop during the 2018 season before succumbing to a knee injury that robbed him of the majority of the 2019 season. Blandino also the ability to play all over the diamond, including third base – something that may come in handy if Suárez misses considerable time to begin the season.

Blandino is not going to dazzle anyone with a lot of pop in his bat, but the former first-round pick does get on base. For his career, the 27-year-old has a career-OBP of .349 and had an on-base percentage of .420 in 36 at-bats last season. Blandino could be a nice addition as the 26th man on the Reds roster, but does have minor-league options remaining should he not cut the mustard during camp.

5. Christian Colón, Infielder

Christian Colón has an uphill climb to make the Reds Opening Day roster, but he’s faced pressure-packed situations before. Colón was the hero during the Kansas City Royals 2015 World Series clinching Game 5 victory, slapping an RBIs single into left field in the top of the 12th inning that broke the 2-2 tie. Colón will need to display some similar magic this spring.

Colón is the type of player that every fan throughout Reds Country should be rooting for this spring. The 30-year-old played the majority of the 2019 season at Triple-A Louisville and found his way onto the big league roster near the end of September. Playing in just 17 games for the Reds last season, Colón had three hits in just six at-bats.

Last year was Colón’s first big league action since 2017 with the Miami Marlins. After the heroics displayed by Colón in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series, he saw little success at the major league level. Colón hit just .213 in 78 games between 2016-2017, racking up just one home run and 13 RBIs in 218 plate appearances.

However, Colón’s bat found the sweet spot last season while playing 136 games for Triple-A Louisville. In 582 appearances for the Bats, Colón slashed .300/.372/.443 with 10 home runs, 70 RBIs and 24 stolen bases. Colón played all over the Louisville infield, but found the majority of his starts at third base.

Adding Christian Colón to the Opening Day roster would require a corresponding move on the 40-man roster, something we saw Cincinnati do last season in order to add non-roster invitees Derek Dietrich and José Iglesias to the active roster. Colón will have to impress in spring training in order to get a shot, but his versatility and power make him an option for the 26th spot on the Reds roster.