Cincinnati Reds: Predicting the roster with Opening Day three weeks away

The 2020 baseball season is just about three weeks away. What will the 2020 Cincinnati Reds roster look like on Opening Day?

The Cincinnati Reds are off on Tuesday following a 6-2 victory in Cactus League play against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds are 4-5 in the early-going and the starting pitching, last year’s strength, appears to be right on target for a dynamite 2020 season. Though we’re still about three weeks from Opening Day, let’s see who’s most likely to land on the 26-man roster.

Fans have high expectations for this year’s Reds team. After the free agent additions of outfielders Shogo Akiyama and Nick Castellanos, infielder Mike Moustakas and left-handed pitcher Wade Miley, Reds Country is hopeful to see their team return to the playoffs for the first time since 2013 when Cincinnati lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Wild Card Game.

In addition to the aforementioned free agent acquisitions, the Reds signed several players to minor-league deals with an invite to spring training. Derek Dietrich, Nate Jones, Brooks Raley and David Carpenter are among those fighting for a spot on the Cincinnati roster. Goodyear has been ripe with competition and it’s likely to get even more heated as spring camp continues.

The Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals kick off the 2020 season on March 26th at Great American Ball Park. While the majority of spots on the roster are already spoken for, several players are vying for bench roles or a spot in the bullpen. With about three weeks to go until Opening Day, who’s making the 26-man roster?

Infielders (6)

Joey Votto, Eugenio Suárez, Mike Moustakas, Freddy Galvis, Kyle Farmer and Derek Dietrich

Mike Moustakas, Joey Votto and Freddy Galvis are a lock to make the 26-man roster out of camp. Eugenio Suárez, if healthy, will man the hot corner on Opening Day. Geno injured his shoulder in a swimming pool accident earlier this offseason. Suárez has yet to see the field, but is preparing as though he’ll be ready to be in the lineup against the Cardinals on March 26th.

Galvis, who missed the first couple of Cactus League games due to shoulder soreness, has seen action as the designated hitter in two games and is 2-for-4 with a double. Galvis will be the Reds starting shortstop, but there is concern about depth at the position behind Galvis.

That’s where Kyle Farmer comes in. The 29-year-old has seen action at shortstop during spring camp and even had a couple starts at the position during the early-going. A former shortstop in college, if Farmer is able to hold his own at the position, it’ll allow David Bell a bit more flexibility with the rest of his roster.

We’re going to give the final spot among the infielders to Derek Dietrich for the time being. After ending last season with a .187 batting average, Dietrich had offseason shoulder surgery and was signed to a minor-league deal a couple weeks ago. Dietrich went 1-for-2 in Monday’s game with 3 RBIs. The 30-year-old beings power and versatility to the Reds lineup.

Some other players who’ll be in the mix are Alex Blandino, Josh VanMeter and Matt Davidson. The most impressive infielder thus far has been shortstop Jose Garcia, who’s blasted three homers in 12 at-bats. The 21-year-old is still at least a year away from making an impact in the big leagues, but he’ll certainly be a player to watch on the Reds minor-league circuit.

Outfielders (5)

Nick Senzel, Shogo Akiyama, Nick Castellanos, Jesse Winker and Phillip Ervin

The Reds outfield has been a hot topic among fans all offseason. Questions about how David Bell would allocate playing time and who’s best suited to play every day have been tossed around all winter. With Cactus League play underway, some of the Reds outfielders are performing, while others are struggling.

Jesse Winker and Phillip Ervin have come to play. After the Reds signed Nick Castellanos and Shogo Akiyama this offseason, fans began to wonder what that meant for last year’s left field platoon of Winker and Ervin. Well, all they’ve done this spring is rake, adding some intrigue to the outfield rotation. Winker is hitting .375 and Ervin is 5-for-10 in Cactus League play.

Nick Senzel has yet to make his spring debut after undergoing shoulder surgery near the end of last season to repair a torn labrum. Last year’s rookie is expected to play later this week, but will be relegated to a designated hitter for the time being.

Akiyama is 4-for-14 thus far and has been in leadoff spot when starting. The Japanese outfielder has started four games in center field and one game in left. Expect to see him continue to gain experience playing both outfield positions and maybe even take over in right field for a game or two.

Aristides Aquino is 0-for-14 with six strikeouts. That’s not going to find you a place on the Opening Day roster. Aquino flashed his potential last August, but a poor showing down the stretch in September, coupled with a .209 batting average in the Dominican Winter League suggests The Punisher needs more refinement at Triple-A.

Starting pitchers (5)

Sonny Gray, Luis Castillo, Anthony DeSclafani, Trevor Bauer and Wade Miley

The Cincinnati Reds may have the best starting rotation in the National League. On paper, only the New York Mets rival the Reds in terms of talent. Luis Castillo and Anthony DeSclafani have been part of the Reds organization for years. Sonny Gray and Trevor Bauer found their way to the Queen City last year and Wade Miley signed a free agent this offseason. The pitching staff is loaded.

I fully expect Luis Castillo, who’s been roughed up this spring, to start Opening Day against the St. Louis Cardinals. Don’t let La Piedra’s poor showing in the Cactus League make you question his ability. Castillo’s ERA through 2.2 innings this spring is 13.50, but the right-hander’s ERA last spring was 12.46. Castillo then went on to have a dominant 2019 season. He’ll be fine.

The trio of Gray, Bauer and DeSclafani have been fantastic this spring. Between the three of them, they’ve allowed just one run all spring. Both Bauer and Disco enter 2020 with free agency on the horizon, giving them a bit of extra motivation to perform at the top of their game.

Miley finally got his first start of the spring against his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, on Sunday. Miley went 1.1 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out two. The runs aren’t very concerning, as a slow roller and bloop double accounted for two runners before Logan Morrison hit a three-run homer.

Miley will be fine, so hopefully Reds Country doesn’t overreact to his first outing of the spring. If any of the starters struggle or suffer an injury, Tyler Mahle is waiting in the wings. I can think of a lot worse options as your sixth starter than Mahle.

Relief pitchers (8)

Michael Lorenzen, Amir Garrett, Raisel Iglesias, Robert Stephenson, Pedro Strop, Lucas Sims, Brandon Finnegan and Nate Jones

Ah, the bullpen. This is the one true position battle in Reds camp. I think it’s safe to say that Raisel Iglesias, Michael Lorenzen, Amir Garrett, Pedro Strop and Robert Stephenson are locks to make the 2020 Opening Day roster. The remaining three spots are up for grabs, but Lucas Sims probably has the inside track to one of those three spots.

Sims hasn’t looked great this spring. The right-hander has allowed five hits, five runs and two walks while only striking out three batters over 3.2 innings of work. However, this is spring ball folks, and we saw what Sims was capable of last season. Sims can go multiple season and is out of minor-league options. Unless he’s severely outplayed, I expect him to make the cut.

Nate Jones has yet to pitch in a game this spring, as he’s coming off an injury. That said, when healthy, the Kentucky native is a solid option out of the bullpen. With a career-ERA of 3.12, Jones figures to have good shot at making the 26-man roster out of camp.

Garrett is the only left-hander assured of a spot in the Reds bullpen, but you know that David Bell will want more than just one southpaw. I’m going to go with Brandon Finnegan as the other left-handed option. Finnegan has pitched in three games this spring and has yet to allow a run. Fellow lefty Cody Reed, who’s out of options, hasn’t looked very crisp through two spring games.

Reed will definitely be in the mix, as will non-roster invitees Sal Romano and Tyler Thornburg. This will easily be the most intriguing story of the spring, as the majority of spots on the major league roster are locked up. Whether the decisions in the bullpen are motivated by performance or a player’s ability to clear waivers, the battle for a spot in the bullpen is one to watch over the next few weeks.